Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) has begun power supply rationing to realise dues worth Rs 4,995 crore from Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL).
Since February 28, DVC has been cutting 50 per cent of the 600 megawatt (MW) power it used to supply to JBVNL daily, prompting the latter to draw electricity from the central grid to make up the deficit.
Besides Dhanbad, the cutback has affected six DVC command areas of Giridih, Bokaro, Ranchi, Koderma, Hazaribagh and East Singhbhum.
The DVC had in a notice on February 11 informed JBVNL about the power cut from February 26 in case the discom failed to clear its dues before February 25.
It, however, implemented the supply cut two days later.
“Talks are on with the DVC authorities to sort out the financial issue. For the first time, we are drawing extra power from the central grid besides drawing 70MW from our Dumka grid through the newly established Kandra grid substation,” JBVNL managing director Pratosh Kumar said.
DVC remained tight-lipped on the issue.
“The schedule of power cut is decided by the DVC’s commercial, load and despatch section. We are not aware of the amount of power cut that’s happening from our grids, including those in Putki, Patherdih and Dhanbad,” DVC executive engineer Pratosh Kumar said.
He said the aim of the power cut was not to inconvenience consumers, but to realise JBVNL’s outstanding dues.
Residents and traders have blamed the lack of coordination between DVC and JBVNL for the current state of affairs.
“We don’t know why the issue is not being realised and the same problem keeps repeating every one or two years, affecting our business. Why should we suffer this despite paying our power bills on time?” Sanjeev Chaurasia, who runs a crockery store at Hirapur, said.
He feared that the power cuts would affect business ahead of Holi.
President of Bokaro Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sanjay Baid, said: “The DVC has a majority of its power plants in Jharkhand and also uses resources such as coal. We have to bear the pollution caused by its power plants, but the company doesn’t think twice before carrying out power cuts here.”