PATNA: There has been a record 32% growth in the number of Durga puja pandals in Patna this year as compared to the previous years, with 529 pandals registered till Sunday, the highest so far, said Murtaza Helal, general manager, Patna Electric Supply Undertaking (PESU), which supplies power to the state capital.
The PESU, he said, had provided 524 temporary connections to the puja pandals so far for three days, beginning Sunday.
“Our teams of electrical engineers visited the puja pandals in their respective areas and persuaded the organisers of puja committees to take temporary power connections, depending on their load requirement,” said Helal.
“Most of the organisers had taken temporary connection with sanctioned load up to 5kW (kilo-watt). A few big pandals had taken up to 30kW, while the one at Dak Bungalow, the biggest puja pandal in Patna, had taken a sanctioned load of 100kW,” he added.
The number of registered puja pandals was the highest this year in terms of the number of temporary connections the PESU had given during Dussehra. The PESU had provided 324 temporary connections in 2018; 359 in 2019, before the Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 did not allow puja pandals. The number of temporary power connections was 400 last year, as per data sourced from the PESU.
“The PESU has so far realised ₹21,66,273 through the 524 temporary connections given so far in this festive month. The remaining five puja pandals will take temporary connection by Monday,” said Helal.
The Danapur electricity division of PESU had the maximum number of 70 puja pandals, going by the number of temporary electricity connections dispensed during Dussehra. The Gardanibagh and Patna City electricity divisions, with 49 temporary power connections each, came next, followed by 43 in Kankarbagh 1 and 42 in Kankerbagh 2 electricity divisions.
The New Capital, Khagaul, Dak Bungalow, and Patliputra electricity divisions had rolled out 39, 38, 37, and 34 temporary power connections, respectively.
The PESU had opened control rooms in each of its 13 electricity divisions, to function round-the-clock between October 7 and 10 in Patna.
“These control rooms have been set up to promptly attend to any technical fault so as to ensure uninterrupted power supply to our consumers during the festival,” said Helal.
“Besides, we have also deputed our officials at the district control room of the district administration from October 2 till the ‘Ravan vadh’ on October 6,” he added.
