Work to upgrade the power distribution system in urban and industrial areas of the steel city and neighbouring Adityapur is likely to be delayed again as Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam (JBVNL) has been forced to change executing agencies repeatedly on account of tardy progress.

By now, several aspects of the work being undertaken under the integrated power development scheme (IPDS) of JBVNL’s Jamshedpur circle area, were to have been completed. But jobs like underground cable-laying, installation of bunched cables and transformers, and replacement of energy meters, that should have been completed by 2017-end, would likely miss the extended deadline of December 31 this year.

GM and chief engineer of JBVNL’s Singhbhum area board Arvind Kumar admitted he was worried. “The progress of work has been very slow. We doubt if the ongoing electrification work will meet its completion target which is December 31,” he said.

The GM said once the IPDS project was completed, supply and distribution of power would improve considerably in JBVNL served areas, including Govindpur, Jugsalai, Bagbera, Birsanagar, Mango, Azadnagar, Kadma and Adityapur in neighbouring Seraikela-Kharsawan district.

JBVNL had awarded the IPDS job to Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (ILFS) in July 2017 with a completion target of December 31, 2018. But the firm could not meet the deadline and in February this year, its contract was terminated.

Subsequently, JBVNL decided to employ two separate agencies. Eventually in March this year, Gupta Transformers was assigned the job of completing the work in Mango and Adityapur by December 2019. But the company is still carrying out a survey of the area when only five months is left for it to complete the work.

Executive engineer (technical) of JBVNL’s Jamshedpur circle Suresh Paswan admitted that the progress of work by Gupta Transformers was slow.

“Gupta Transformers was given the work order on March 7 this year. But since the company is still carrying out survey, we doubt it will be able to meet the deadline,” the officer said. Paswan said the power board was yet to assign electrification work for Jugsalai, Chakulia and Govindpur.

CM fiat

CM Raghubar Das on Saturday met East Singhbhum DC Ravi Shankar Shukla and Jusco senior officials at Circuit House, where he directed the private civic body to hold talks with JBVNL and take up steps to improve power supply in non-company areas.