Bids for 4000 MW project in Orissa to be delayed: Shinde

Government today said invitation of bids for a 4,000 MW ultra mega power project in Orissa would be deferred for the fourth time on environment issues.

"It (bids for Orissa UMPP) will get delayed by about a month or so," Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said.

The last date of submission for bids for the Bedabahal UMPP in Orissa was November 30.

But the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) is yet to give clearances for the coal blocks--Meenakshi, Meenakshi-B and Dip side of Meenakshi -- allotted for the project.

The Power Ministry wants to complete its homework on the projects like -- forest clearance of the coal blocks for the project -- before inviting the initial bids.

"I dont want developers to come and complain (about any discrepancy) later," he added.

MOEF classified 'no-go' areas as the zones where mining activity could not take place as it would have adverse impact on the environment.

One of the coal mines for the project fall under the 'no-go' category.

Bidding process for another such project at Sarguja in Chhattisgarh has already been delayed by two months from its prior date of November 8 due environment concerns, as the coal mines allotted for the project also fall under the 'no-go' category.

Government plans to add about 1,00,000 MW of power, of which a lion's share would be contributed by such UMPP projects.

It has awarded four such projects so far, three of which are at Sasan (Madhya Pradesh), Tilaiya (Jharkhand) and Krishnapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).

Tata Power is developing the fourth project at Mundra in Gujarat.