World Bank report criticises Bihar for poor power condition

Claims that more than two third of Bihar's population lack access to electricity

Presenting a disappointing picture of power sector in Bihar, a World Bank study report has claimed that more than two third of its population lack access to electricity.

The report asked the state government to drastic steps to augment generation capacity and ramp up investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure to ensure affordable power to the consumers.

"Two-third of Bihar population does not have access to electricity for which the state government must augment generation capacity and ramp up investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure to provide affordable and reliable power to the consumers," World Bank's Economic Advisor Sheoli Pargal said, while presenting the report in Patna.

Stating that Bihar has the lowest per capita electricity consumption at 144 KW against national average of 917 KW, Pargal, author of the World Bank report, noted that Bihar also fared among the worst states in terms of peak deficit of power at 30 per cent.

"Bihar's story has been a sorry one. Lack of access to power for a large segment of its population as well as industry coupled with an inefficient, loss-making distribution infrastructure severely constrains economic development and growth", she said.

The report also asked the state government to take drastic steps to revitalise power sector by improving performance of distribution utilities with an added emphasis on financial discipline in distribution of power in the back drop of ever accumulating Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&T) losses which was among the highest in the country.

The (AT&T) losses in power distribution in Bihar were among the highest in the country at 50 per cent in 2013 while the accumulated losses of the sector stood at Rs 85 billion in 2012, she said, adding, the transmission losses at four per cent in the financial year 2012-13 were also high considering the all-India average at around 2.4 per cent.