Unable to bridge the ever increasing gap between demand and supply of power, Bihar government wants to speed up the implementation of power projects coming up in the state. Recently, Bihar government requested the Union Power Ministry to speed up the process of setting up Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) in the state which was held up due to non-availability of suitable site and water. According to state government sources, suitable site in Banka district of the state has already been identified and requisite water linkage from river Ganges has also been made available.
The state government has also taken up the issue of 3X44 MW Dagmara HEP which has failed to make any significant headway since inviting first tender for preparing detailed project report in 2006. Though Wapcos has prepared the project report, Central Electricity Authority has not yet given its go ahead for the project for unknown reasons.
Similarly, the state government has taken up the issue of Renovation & Modernization (R&M) of units of Barauni and Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Plants. R&M of these units was approved by the Planning Commission at a total cost of Rs. 1053 crore under Special Plan for Bihar and was supposed to be completed by March 2012. However, R&M of these units is held up due to non-supply of requisite materials / equipments by BHEL who has been entrusted with the task of executing the project. NTPC is the consultant for the project. After persistent follow up by the state government, R&M is now expected to be complete by December 2013.
Even after the completion of R&M, problem may not be over for these units as FSA for enhanced coal supply has not yet been signed. At present the coal allocation for Barauni and Muzaffarpur units is to the tune of 0.34 MTPA and 0.50 MTPA, respectively which has to be increased to 1.3 MTPA each after the R&M works are complete. Unless coal supply is enhanced entire R&M exercise may go waste, feel the state government authorities.
