Rs 1200 crore energy department budget passed

Patna, Mar 22 (UNI) Amid walk-out by the RJD, the Bihar government today admitted today that the state had to depend on the Central power agencies for meeting the demand of growing consumers.

Replying to the budgetary demand of the Energy Department worth over Rs 1200.03 crore, Energy Minister Vijendra Prasad Yadav said majority of the power units went to Jharkhand following Bihars bifurcation.

He said the state's installed capacity of power generating units was only 575 MWs. The state governmment had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the handing over of the Tenughat Power Corporation Limited to Jharkhand by the centre.

He said the state's per capita power consumption was only 74 units against the national average of 500 units.

Mr Yadav said that the government had proposed to set up mega thermal power stations at Nabinagar, Pirpaiti and Katihar, adding letter of interest had already been invited for this purpose.

He said several energy majors like Relinance Engineering, Tata Power, New Bharat Ferra Alloy Limited, Torrent Power, NTPC and others had shown interest in setting up power plants in the state.

He said the state government had also approached the Centre for setting up a nuclear power plant at Rajauli in Nawada district.

The budgetary demand was later passed by voice vote after rejecting the cut motion moved by Jagdanand Singh of the RJD.

UNI DH SJC/SRC2031