Patna: Bihar will for the first time host a conference of power ministers, in Rajgir, on November 10 and 11.

Apart from power ministers of states from across the country, the conference - organised every six months - will see participation by Union minister of state (independent charge) for power and new & renewable energy Raj Kumar Singh. Chief minister Nitish Kumar is likely to deliver the inaugural address.

The power ministers would also be taken on a field visit to see ongoing rural electrification in the Kaimur hills and forest areas of West Champaran, where off-grid power connection is being provided for total electrification in the state. "Providing power connectivity in these areas was a major challenge because of their location but we are providing solar power," a senior official of the energy department told The Telegraph.

The conference would serve as a platform for states to share their experience on implementation of various schemes and also the problems they face. The conference would be the first after the Centre launched its ambitious Rs 16,320 crore Saubhagya scheme - entailing power connection to all households by 2018-end - in September.

Around 4 crore households across the country are likely to benefit from the scheme that would cover rural and urban areas. The rural electrification corporation has been made the nodal agency and it is estimated that of the total outlay, around Rs 14000 crore would be spent in rural areas. The beneficiaries would be identified using 2011 census data and families not covered under it would be provided connection on payment of Rs 500 in 10 instalments along with the electricity bill.

"It is expected that states would raise several issues related to implementation of the scheme as 40 per cent of the total funds to be spent under it have to be borne by states and the new scheme has put additional financial burden on states," the energy department official said.

Bihar is all set to raise its old demand for rationalisation of rates at which power is supplied to different states from different NTPC units. At the previous conference in May, state energy minister Bijendra Yadav had sought doing away with regional disparity in the form of a National Tariff Policy for NTPC. "The NTPC plants, which were set up 20-30 years back in certain western and southern states, supply power to these states at around Rs 2 per unit whereas the newer plants, set up at higher cost owing to increase in land compensation and other costs, produce costly power and states like Bihar and Bengal end up paying over Rs 4 per unit," said the official. "Rationalisation of tariff would help states like us, as power companies would be able to pass on the financial burden to customers."

Bihar is also likely to raise the issue pertaining to increase in power allocated to the state from the central sector. At present the state has been allocated Rs 2942 MW of power from the central sector, from which it generally gets around 2,100-2,200MW.

"Power consumption is increasing rapidly owing to rural electrification and power to all households. We are now consuming around 4,000MW daily. That is why the state is demanding more power allocation from the central sector," the official said.