The Hindu Business Line : Bihar unveils new steps on power sector front

The initiatives
Bihar plans to generate some 15,000 MW in the next 15 years or so.
Two super thermal power plants have been planned at Kahalgaon and Baar, work on which is expected to start in the next two years.

MR SUSHIL MODI

Kolkata , Dec. 6

Waxing eloquent on the various socio-economic achievements of the Nitish Kumar-led Government in Bihar during the last one year, Mr Sushil Kumar Modi, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, has admitted that the State needed huge reforms in the power sector to attract investments.

Speaking at an interactive session organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Mr Modi said the State today produced just 30 MW of its own electricity and sourced as much as 1200 MW from central agencies and other sources.

He said the State Government has planned to generate some 15,000 MW in the next 15 years or so, and plenty of new initiatives have been launched in this regard.

The State Government has also legislated a Bihar Single Window Clearance Act to attract more investments. The Bihar State Financial Corporation was also being revived.

Power plants

He said two super thermal power plants have been planned at Kahalgaon and Baar, work on which was expected to start in the next two years. Some 3,000 MW is expected to be generated from the proposed three power plants in Katihar, Bhagalpur and Nabinagar (all adjoining Jharkhand State), and investment proposals have been received from major industrial houses such as Tatas and Reliance, he said.

Presenting the one-year report card on a new-look Bihar , the Minister said on roads alone, the plan was to spend Rs 3,000 crore this year (by end March 2007), for which many national road construction firms were being invited. The Minister also revealed a firm commitment on the part of Government to root out corruption from the State.

Pointing out that Bihar had some 4,000 km of National Highways, he said Rs 300 crore was being spent from the State budget itself (tenders have already been floated) for work to start immediately.

Admitting that the hurdles were simply too many, he said the State was not getting good road contractors to get the projects moving. He said importance was also being given to building of bridges under the newly created "Mukhya Mantri Sethu Nirman" scheme, for which Rs 300 crore was allocated this year.