Bihar State Electricity Board has started the process of appointing agencies for preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) for setting up dedicated 11KV feeders for agriculture consumers across the state.

The move aims to turn the Rs 1.50 lakh crore agriculture roadmap, inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee in Patna on October 3, into reality.

The separate feeders would be set up for irrigation purposes under the roadmap, which the state government has approved for bringing a “rainbow revolution in agriculture” in the next five years.

“We aim to get the DPR completed by the end of the current financial year (ending March 2013) so that the work of laying separate agriculture feeders in 37 districts of the state could be taken up on priority basis. The financial bids would be opened next month end,” said board member (finance & revenue) Vinayak Chandra Gupta. “The selected agency would prepare the DPR, giving details such as quantum of cost involved, infrastructure and time required for laying separate agriculture feeders,” he said.

The board had come out with a request for proposal on October 9 and the last date for submitting the bids is November 6, the tender document said. The technical bid would be opened the same day (November 6), while the date and time of opening of financial bids would be notified later.

Sources said separate feeders would provide additional infrastructure or cushion to the board for supplying power to all kinds of consumers in the event of any major fault.