Bihar energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav speaks at 28th TCC and ERPC meeting in Bodhgaya on Friday. Picture by Suman

Patna/Gaya, Dec. 16: Energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav today charged the Centre with neglecting the eastern region by not setting up power plants in the area despite the presence of coal reserves, adequate water and cheap labour.

“The cost of power generation in the eastern region is less in comparison to other parts of the country because of sufficient coal reserves in the region. Despite this, the region has been neglected. Even the region is being discriminated in the allocation of power from plants located in the region itself,” Yadav said, while inaugurating the two-day meet of Eastern Region Power Committee (ERPC).

Representatives of member states — Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, Jharkhand and Sikkim — are taking part in the two-day 20th ERPC meet at Bodhgaya to discuss the problems and issues regarding power concerning these states. Officials from National Thermal Power Corporation, National Hydel Power Corporation, PowerGrid, the Technical Co-ordination Committee and other state electricity boards as well as ERPC member secretary A.K. Bandopadhyaya were also present during the meet.

Power-starved Bihar and Jharkhand raised the issue of less allocation of power from the central sector. Raising the issue of coal shortage in the eastern region which has affected the generation in the region, Yadav held the Centre’s policy of uniform coal pricing responsible for the shortage of coal supply in the region. “The uniform pricing has created shortage of coal for power plants. This has hampered the industrialisation in the eastern region that include Bihar also,” he said.

Because of import of coal from other places the cost of power generation increased which enforced electricity department to impose fuel surcharge on the consumers.

Eastern region states must unite on the issue of allocation of power to this region from those plants located in the eastern region. “What is the benefit of having such plants in the region when the power generated from the region’s plants is not allocated to the region?” he questioned.

Northeastern states and Nepal have a vast potential of generating 20,000-25,000MW of power, the minister said, adding that the eastern region, especially Bihar, must get adequate power share from these plants as the transmission lines would pass through the state. “The line would pass from the state and if the state is not allocated its due share, then there would be widespread agitation by the people,” he said, adding that “policy discrimination would not be allowed”.

As Bihar generates only 110MW power, the state has to depend upon the Centre for power allocation. But against the requirement of 1,772MW, the allocation is only 1000MW on an average. Bihar has made a demand for 50 per cent allocation from NTPC’s Barh thermal plant which would be commissioned in the next two years, said the minister.