K'taka to build pit-head power plant in Chhattisgarh

Bangalore, Sep 5 (UNI) In its effort to bring a permanent solution to energy shortages in Karnataka, the State Government has decided to set up a 1200 MW pit-head super thermal power plant in Chhattisgarh for which Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa would sign an MoU in Raipur on September 8.

State-owned Karnataka Power Corporation would be executing the project. This would be the first time the 'power giant' is building a plant outside the state.

Disclosing this at a function in Davangere today, Mr Yeddyurappa said he would be signing the MoU with the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh.

According to KPC General Manager M B Jayaram, the Rs 6,000-crore plant would come up about 25 km from Champa and 170 km from Raipur.

The coal would be supplied from Man Raigarh Pait belonging to South East Coal Ltd. The plant would need 7.22 million tonne of coal per annum.

Speaking to UNI, he said the 1.9 tmc of water per annum needed for the project would be lifted from Mahanadi, eight km away from the plant.

The power would be available to the state at a cost of Rs 2.44 per unit in comparison to Rs 3.89 per unit if the power plant was built within the state, he added.

Karnataka would get 90 per cent of the power produced from this plant while Chhattisgarh would get the balance ten per cent.

The deal was clinched between the two BJP-ruled states when Mr Singh was in the city last month to undergo nature cure treatment on the outskirts of the city.

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