Patna, Nov. 8: The first unit of 110MW at Barauni Thermal Power Station (BTPS) is expected to start generation from next January, while its second unit of 110MW would follow suit from June 2015.

'BHEL, which is carrying out renovation and modernisation work, has been asked to complete the work on the first unit by January 2015 and on the second unit by June 2015 though we have been pressurising BHEL officials to meet a March deadline. Let's hope that BHEL would keep its word vis-à-vis starting generation at the aforementioned time schedule,' said a source in the energy department.

The move assumes significance in the backdrop of chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's meeting with Union power minister Piyush Goyal last Monday in Delhi during which it was agreed that the power plants at Kanti in Muzaffarpur and Barh in Patna would be inaugurated on November 15.

Both the chief minister and the power minister would jointly inaugurate the first unit of NTPC's 660MW super thermal power plant at Barh and second unit of 110MW of Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station at Kanti on November 15.

During the meeting, Manjhi also requested Goyal to expedite the renovation and modernisation work of BTPS plants so that the two plants could start power generation at the earliest. Goyal had assured the chief minister for expediting the pending work on the two units of 110MW each at Barauni plant.

Manjhi's request for expediting the renovation and modernisation work stems from the fact that the deadline to complete it at Barauni and Kanti in Muzaffarpur have been deferred several times since April 2008, when BHEL was handed over the job.