Ranchi, May 22: Former Chief Minister Raghubar Das has expressed deep concern over the ongoing power crisis in Jharkhand. In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, he highlighted the persistent power outages, low voltage issues, and malfunctioning transformers as a result of government negligence.
Das noted that the situation has worsened significantly amidst the sweltering heat, affecting both urban and rural areas. Residents are facing prolonged power cuts, which are disrupting daily life, education, agriculture, business, and industries. He pointed out that the quality of consumer services is deteriorating, exacerbated by the delayed replacement of faulty transformers.
In his correspondence, Das referenced his achievements during his tenure, stating that in 2014, electricity reached approximately 3.8 million households, a figure that his administration increased to 6.8 million families. He claimed that significant infrastructure was developed in the energy sector during the BJP government, including the installation of 4,027 kilometers of new transmission lines and about 142,000 kilometers of distribution lines, along with the expansion of the 132 kV and 220 kV networks.
Das also mentioned the Patratu Thermal Power Station project, emphasizing that during his tenure, a joint venture with NTPC led to the establishment of Patratu Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (PVUNL), aimed at generating 4,000 megawatts of electricity. He accused the current government of stalling the project’s progress after the change in administration.
However, he noted that production from the first unit commenced in March this year, with the second unit expected to start soon. Das urged the Chief Minister to conduct a high-level review of the power department and take immediate corrective measures. He called for ensuring uninterrupted power supply, promptly replacing faulty transformers, addressing low voltage and outages, prioritizing the maintenance of transmission and distribution networks, and enhancing the consumer grievance redressal system.
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