Patna, April 9: Energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav today pitched for a slew of demands, including grant of one ultra mega power project, allocation of 50 per cent power from the NTPC's Kahalgaon unit and also from hydel projects of Bhutan and Nepal.

He also demanded the allocation of cheaper power from central sector generating units of other regions besides strengthening transmission capacity of the state in order to meet its energy demand which is likely to touch 5,000MW by the end of this year.

Making a fervent appeal to Union minister of state for power (independent charge) Piyush Goyal at a two-day energy ministers' conference in Guwahati, Bijendra said Bihar's case vis-à-vis power scenario is quite different from others and hence it should be given special but its legitimate attention to tide over the perennial power problem.

While welcoming the Union budget proposal for setting up five ultra mega power projects, Bijendra said: "Keeping in view our earlier proposal regarding the same we would request the power minister to sanction the setting up of one such plant in Banka district for which about 2,500 acres of land have already been marked near Kakwara village and 120 cusecs of water allocation has also been made by the water resources department."

The concurrence of Central Water Commission and allocation of coal block for the project should be looked into on priority basis, he said.

The minister, who found fault with the formula for allocation of electricity from the central generating power plant, made a strong case for allocating at least 50 per cent power from Kahalgaon stage-II, which has three units of 500MW. Bihar has been allocated 98.77 MW from stage-II.

Expressing his displeasure over the slow pace of work being carried out by BHEL completion of two units of 250MW of Barauni Thermal Power Extension Project, Bijendra asked Goyal to direct BHEL to commission these units within November.

The bifurcation of the state left it with 30 per cent of generation capacity in a dilapidated condition making the state primarily dependent upon central sector allocation from which Bihar is allocated 2,657MW against 1,900-2,000MW available to the state.

"It is requested to allocate cheaper power of equivalent quantum from central generating units of other regions to Bihar," said Bijendra who thanked central government for allotment of coal blocks for Buxar, Lakhisarai and Pirpainti thermal power projects from Deocha Pachmi.

He also demanded allocation of 1,500MW and 250MW of power from Punatsangchu and Mangdechu hydel project of Bhutan and Aruna-III hydel project in Nepal, respectively.