Patna: Work on the Patna Metro is advancing at pace, but the project has suffered a setback on the regulatory front after the Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) rejected its request for subsidised electricity.
In a recent order, the Commission dismissed Patna Metro Rail Corporation’s argument that it should not be charged at the same rate as the railways, stating that the metro would operate for only around 16 hours a day and would levy comparatively higher fares given the short route lengths.
The ruling means that the electricity tariff already approved for the Patna Metro will remain unchanged. The metro had claimed that its systems would run 24 hours a day and sought preferential treatment in power supply charges. BERC, however, found no grounds to revise the tariff.
Under the existing structure, Patna Metro is required to pay a fixed charge of Rs 540 per kVA and an energy charge of Rs 8.16 per unit. The Commission has also retained differential billing for various time slots.
According to the order, the metro consumes about 45% of its power between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m., during which it will pay 80% of the normal energy charge. For the subsequent three hours, it will pay 100% of the charge. During peak hours — seven hours of the day — the metro will be billed at 120% of the applicable tariff.
Officials said the rates were finalised after assessing estimated electricity usage across underground and elevated stations.
For now, Patna Metro will move forward with construction and testing while continuing to pay the existing power tariff, marking a significant decision for the capital’s most ambitious transport project.
