Power supply would be suspended in my area tomorrow

Monthly one saturday between ~9 AM to ~6 PM we live without power in 'Ramapuram'. Tomorrow is going to be one another day without electricity (check out http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/26/stories/2007102661550400.htm for further information)

The reason they say for these power cuts is 'maintenance work'. I really wonder what sort of maintenance do they carry out! If they are maintaining properly then why does power goes off now and then?

I understand that few power plants which is the source of electricity has stopped part of their production due to some techinical troubles (one such is Neyveli power plant). Apart from that many times power goes off and when we call the E.B staffs they would say some 'Transformer problem', 'Line problem' etc.,

I was in US for 3 months and during that period power went of for hardly once or twice that too for very few minutes. [Once due to some thunder storm warning or something it went off for 1+ hours].

Normally how does 'electricity' board in other countries work?