Patna, Sept. 28: Various industry bodies today accused public sector undertaking National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of resorting to discrimination towards Bihar, thus jeopardising the resurgent industrial growth of the state. The representatives of the business bodies criticised the power major for charging exorbitant rate for electricity in the state.

Bihar Industries Association (BIA), Bihar Chamber of Commerce (BCC) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in a joint media interaction, charged NTPC with adopting discriminatory approach towards the state and how the former is charging significantly lower rates in Jharkhand as compared to Bihar even while supplying from the same thermal/hydel plants.

“On perusal of the relevant data, it can be observed that wherein average fuel cost of NTPC has increased by only 50paise per unit, from Rs 1.10 in 2007-08 to Rs 1.60 in 2010-11, it charged Rs 2 per unit up from Rs 1.25 from Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) till March this year,” BCC president O.P. Sah said.

The PSU major has attributed the hike in electricity price to the steep hike in coal prices, Sah said, adding that on perusal of charts, the percentage increase in coal prices in four years has been claimed to be around 8 per cent for Tenughat Vidyut Nigam Limited and 19 per cent for Patratu Thermal Power Station (PTPS), whereas the increase in coal price in NTPC has been claimed to be between 200 per cent and 500 per cent, which is a staggering anomaly.