Coal linkage to Katwa power plant will help NTPC float tender

NTPC unable to float tender without this coal linkage, says West Bengal Power Minister

With the Centre's assurance to extend coal linkage to Katwa Thermal Power Plant, the NTPC, which is setting up the project, would be able to float tender for equipment soon, West Bengal Power Minister Manish Gupta said.

Replying to a supplementary in the Assembly during Question Hour today, the minister said that the NTPC was unable to float tender without this coal linkage.

Gupta said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had discussed the issue with Union Minister of State for Coal, Power and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal during the inauguration of Coal India Ltd's new corporate office at Rajarhat recently.

The chief minister on her part too assured the Centre of all help and cooperation in the setting up of the plant. Coal linkage and Environment Impact Assessment are the two prerequisites for the project to get off the ground.

Out of 853 acres of land required for the project, the state government has already handed over to the NTPC 556 acres for the 1,320 MW thermal power plant, while another 97 acres would soon be handed over, Gupta said adding the NTPC on its own acquired 200 acres of land.

The NTPC stepped in to set up the plant after state-owned WBPDCL, which was supposed to construct it, gave up unable to acquire the requisite land.

Replying to a question earlier, the minister said the state government had taken measures to expedite electrification in the Sundarbans. Electrification in the area of Patharpratima, Gosaba and Namkhana blocks were in progress and would be completed by April, 2016.