Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd (JBVNL) consumers living in Jamshedpur and adjoining areas can hope for better power supply as the JBVNL’s Singhbhum electricity supply area board has replaced the existing outsourced agency, Quess Corporation Ltd, with a new one.

The new agency, Geetraj Engineering Enterprises Pvt Ltd (GEEPL), which is working for the JBVNL in Seraikela, Chaibasa and Chakradharpur divisions, has been entrusted to work under Jamshedpur and Mango divisions also.

But what seems to be a deviation in appointing the GEEPL for the Jamshedpur and Mango divisions is that the Singhbhum electricity supply area board did not float any tender and engaged the new agency by issuing an order.

Executive engineer, Jamshedpur division, Vishal Kumar said the new agency had working in place of Quess Corporation Ltd from October 1 this year.

“The term of Quess Corporation came to an end on September 30, leading the Singhbhum electricity supply area board to appoint GEEPL as the new agency. But as the new agency has been appointed by the Singhbhum electricity supply area board only, we cannot say anything about it,” Kumar said.

General manager, JBVNL's Singhbhum electricity supply area, Arvind Kumar could not be contacted for comment despite repeated attempts.

An insider in the JBVNL pointed out that the appointment of a new agency without tender process deviation from the set norms.

“In any case no agency can be given work at a new area without tender even if the agency in question is already engaged at other divisions of the JBVNL. Had the GEEPL worked here under Mango and Jamshedpur divisions, and the area board had given an extension for the agency’s contract, there would have been no problem as the board has the power to give three months’ extension to any existing agency,” said the official, requesting anonymity.

The insider, however, pointed out that the GEEPL is a good agency which has earned a reputation of providing prompt service in rectifying power snags and also in giving safety aspects of its workers priority in Seraikela, Chakradharpur and Chaibasa divisions.

Arvind Kumar Thakur, director, GEEPL, said they have been given the contract for one year to work in Jamshedpur and Mango divisions.

“Though we have been given additional areas to provide service, we will not give any opportunity for complaint from the consumers. As we have been engaged for providing service in Jamshedpur and Mango divisions in an urgent way, we are yet to start working in a full-fledged manner,” said Thakur.

He said that all the workers who were working for the Quess Corporation will be absorbed with his company. He said the workers would be given appointment letters in a week’s time, adding that they have sent a team of to Calcutta for buying the necessary safety gear such as gumboots, hand-gloves and testers to all the 209 workers who will be working in Jamshedpur and Mango divisions shortly.

The JBVNL does engage outsourced agencies for things like maintaining power supply to the consumers with the guidance of JBVNL's engineers and technicians.

JBVNL consumers living in Mango, Azadnagar, Jugsalai, Uliyan, Shastrinagar, Govindpur, Baridih, Bagbera and Parsudih often have to suffer irregular power supply, which is ascribed to poor maintenance work.