Patna, March 9: The Nitish Kumar government’s efforts to take a big stride in energy sufficiency by setting up the 3,300MW power project at Nabinagar has hit a roadblock with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) protesting against the delay in acquiring over 900 acres of land and even threatening to withdraw from the project.

The NTPC and Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) have entered into a 50:50 joint venture on the project. The mega-project, to be built in two phases — 3x660MW in the first phase and 2x660MW in the second — is coming up under the aegis of the Nabinagar Power Generating Company.

Sources in BSEB revealed that NTPC had written a letter to the state chief secretary threatening to withdraw from the project in the event of the government not handing over the possession of about 900 acres of land to it by March 20. The government has already acquired about 1,900 acres of land out of the 2,830 acres required.

Energy minister Bijendra Yadav confirmed the receipt of such a letter but denied that the NTPC would pull out. “NTPC has written the letter for the acquisition of the required land which we are already doing. We will hand over the land very soon. We are replying to the letter,” he said.

The minister pointed out that it was hard for the NTPC to withdraw unilaterally from a joint venture. “There is hardly any exigency for it for we have already acquired about 1,900 acres,” he said.

Sources said NTPC had also threatened to shift the project to Solapur in Maharashtra where it is engaged in setting up a 2x660MW power project. But Yadav described the threat as a “hyperbole”.

“Troubles do crop up in setting up such a big power project. But the parties in a joint venture on such projects are supposed to co-operate with each other and not issue threats,” the minister said.