NEW DELHI: Bihar has once again earned recognition at the national level in the integrated rating of power distribution companies, with both the North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (NBPDCL) and South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (SBPDCL) awarded an ‘A’ Grade in the 14th Integrated Rating and Ranking of Power Distribution Utilities, released under the framework approved by the Ministry of Power.
The improved ratings place Bihar’s DISCOMs among the better-performing utilities in the country, reflecting sustained improvements in financial discipline, operational efficiency, governance standards, and consumer-focused initiatives.
Expressing satisfaction over the achievement, Energy Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said, “Under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s power distribution companies are continuously improving operational efficiency and performance while ensuring uninterrupted and quality electricity supply to the public.”
Manoj Kumar Singh, senior IAS officer and Energy Secretary-cum-CMD, BSPHCL, called the ‘A’ Grade an encouraging validation of the sustained efforts being made across Bihar’s power sector, highlighting improvements in operational efficiency, financial discipline, digital initiatives, and consumer-centric service delivery. He added, “We are committed to further strengthening governance, improving reliability and quality of supply, and enhancing consumer experience through continued reforms and technology-driven solutions. Our collective endeavour will be to sustain this momentum and progressively position Bihar’s DISCOMs among the top-performing utilities in the country.”
NBPDCL recorded an integrated score of 82.02, securing 13th rank among all power distribution utilities nationally and 7th among state-owned DISCOMs. The rating represents a notable upgrade from its earlier ‘B’ Grade, reflecting gains in billing and collection efficiency, AT&C loss reduction, financial management, and governance.
Similarly, SBPDCL achieved a score of 67.37, ranking 20th among all DISCOMs and 12th among state-owned utilities, marking a clear improvement from its previous ‘B-’ Grade. The enhanced rating reflects the company’s focused efforts in revenue realisation, operational controls, narrowing the ACS–ARR gap, and reinforcing governance mechanisms.
The Integrated Rating Exercise evaluates 65 power distribution utilities nationwide based on 15 base performance parameters and nine disincentive metrics, producing a comprehensive score out of 100. Key evaluation areas include profitability and cash position, ACS–ARR gap, billing and collection efficiency, subsidy realisation, distribution losses, corporate governance, and tariff cycle timelines.