5 units of 800 MW each to be installed by 2022 : CM Das

Jharkhand is working towards providing electricity to every household by December, Chief Minister Raghubar Das said on Friday, claiming that power connections had already been provided to 19 lakh of the state's 38 lakh households that were without electricity.

Das was speaking at the 64th meeting of the Forum of Regulators of India, organised by the state Electricity Regulatory Commission.

The Chief Minister said the state had set an ambitious target of increasing its power generation capacity to 4,000 MW by 2022. Once the target is achieved, Jharkhand would have sufficient electricity not only to meet its own requirements but also to supply power to other states.

To increase generation capacity, Jharkhand has entered into a joint venture involving Patratu Thermal Power Station and NTPC. Under the project, five units of 800 MW each are planned at Patratu by 2022. Jharkhand is expected to receive 85 per cent of the electricity generated from the project.

Das also said expansion work was underway at the Tenughat power project.

The Chief Minister acknowledged that inadequate transmission infrastructure had previously been a major challenge for the state. He said the number of power grids would be increased fourfold over the next two years, while transmission connectivity was being expanded in areas including Santhal Pargana and Daltonganj-Latehar.

Distribution infrastructure is also being strengthened under various programmes, including the Saubhagya scheme, through which the government aims to ensure electricity connections for every household.

Das said the state had also made changes to its electricity tariff system with the support of the regulatory commission. Instead of providing grants, the government is now directly extending subsidies to consumers, he said.

For improving the reliability of electricity supply in urban areas, underground cabling is being undertaken in cities. The number of power substations is also being increased and the distribution network expanded.

The government has reported a significant reduction in aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses, which have fallen from around 40 per cent to 30 per cent. The state has set a further target of bringing the losses down to 15 per cent.

Das also highlighted the government's increasing focus on renewable energy, particularly solar power. Ranchi has been selected under the National Smart Grid Mission, with work on the project expected to begin soon.

The meeting was attended by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission and Forum of Regulators Chairman P.K. Pujari, Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission Chairman Dr Arvind Prasad, Gujarat State Electricity Regulatory Commission Chairman Anand Kumar, Forum of Regulators Secretary Sanoj Kumar Jha and other senior officials.

The announcements underline Jharkhand's broader effort to improve electricity access while simultaneously expanding generation, strengthening transmission and reducing distribution losses.