Chief minister Hemant Soren inaugurated a power substation (132/33 KV grid) at Bhagodih in Garhwa district and laid the foundation stone for two other substations of similar capacity at Nagar Untari in Garhwa and Chhatarpur in Palamau district through a virtual ceremony here on Monday in the presence of senior bureaucrats, an MLA and state minister Mithilesh Thakur, among others.

Sources said that the sub-station in Garhwa would help the district cut down on its dependence on neighbouging states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Bhagodih sub-station, set up at a cost of Rs 26.74 crore, will get electricity from Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL)’s grid in adjoining Palamau district.

Hemant said the move would end power cuts in Garhwa and the entire Palamau commissionary region. “Our government is focusing on improving the overall electricity situation in these areas to light up the lives of people residing there. Seamless electricity will also mitigate problems related to irrigation facilities and help in overall development of the region,” he said.

Both Garhwa and Palamau are regarded as dry districts owing to scanty rainfall. Lack of regular power supply oftrn leads to paucity of drinking water. “Soon, these shortcomings due to power crunch will be over. Our aim is to make the state power sufficient in the coming days so that people can get electricity round- the- clock," Hemant said.

State energy department secretary Avinash Kumar said the new facilities would improve the electricity situation in the Palamau zone. “So far, vast parts of Garhwa and Palamau remained devoid of proper power supply. Other areas suffered erratic supplies. Those problems will be solved now,” he said.

Speaking about the two new sub-stations whose foundation stone was laid, Kumar explained that these would be built at a cost of around Rs 90 crore. “The work is targeted to be over in two years,” he said.