Centre assures improvement in power situation in Bihar: Jairam

Patna, Apr 27 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Power and Commerce Jairam Ramesh today announced to supply three phase electricity under Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Programme in Bihar and admitted the construction work on different power projects was ''slow''.

After a meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and senior authorities of the state government at One Anne Marg, Mr Ramesh told newspersons here that finding the state governments demand viable, the Centre is ready to supply three phase electricity connection under the scheme to be implemented at an expenditure of Rs 4,000 crore.

Mr Ramesh said after reviewing the pace on the ongoing work at different power projects at Barh, Navinagar and Kahalgaon, he said that he found the contruction work there was slow.

He also said the estimated cost of Barh power project with installation capacity of 660 MW had escalated due to rise in the prices of essential commodities and the Russian company enganged for the work by the NTPC had also enhanced their estimate.

The Minister said the Centre would intervene to resolve the crisis and would negotiate with the Russian company for amicable settlement in order to speed up the power project.

The minister further said those living in and around 10 - 15 kms from Kahalgaon, Navinagar, Barh and Kanti would get uniterrupted power supply and the NTPC had been asked to ensure the same.

Meanwhile, Mr Kumar said the state government had alerady made such demands during the tour of Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.

He said he had asked the Centre to enhance the quota of electricity to Bihar till the state became independent in the power sector. He also asked the Minister to ensure supply of the allotted power of 1170 MW and also sanction additional 330 MW electricity to cater its need.

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