APL proposes investment of Rs7000 crore for power station in Bihar

The Adani Power Limited has proposed investment to the tune of Rs7,000 crore for setting up 1320 (610x2) MW thermal power station and undertake mining in Urma Pahari coalmines located in Jharkhand.

APL chairman Gautam Adani submitted this proposal at a meeting with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at the state secretariat here last evening, an official spokesperson told PTI today.

The Centre has allotted the Urma Pahari coal bloc to Bihar to meet its requirement of coal for thermal power stations.

Adani during a presentation at the high-level meeting said the proposed plant, the location of which is yet to be decided, would help cater to the energy requirements of Bihar and provide employment opportunities to more than 5000 people, the spokesman said.

The APL chief also expressed a desire for investing in mining and development of port.

The Chief minister directed the Chief Secretary, development commissioner and principal secretary (industries) to go through the proposal for augmenting power and take a decision at the earliest.

He also asked the officials to negotiate with the company for procuring power from the company's power stations to meet the power crisis in the state, the spokesperson said.

Kumar said the state government would also welcome proposals for investments in food processing sector having huge potentials for setting up industries as Bihar's Litchi and Langra variety of mango are very famous.

"I would like that the Adani group visit Muzaffarpur and Motihari and explore ways for preservation of these fruits", he said.

The chief minister noted that the three companies of Adani group-- Adani power Limited, Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Limited (MPSEZ) and Adani Enterprises Limited -- were listed in the share market and the cumulative capital of the three companies stood at Rs25,000 crore.

Adani said that he had had set up a 4,620 MW power station at Mundra port and expanded its coal mining activities in Australia.

Energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Chief Secretary Anup Mukherji, development commissioner KC Saha, Principal Secretary of industries department C K Mishra and Principal secretary of energy department Ajay V Nayak were, among others, who also attended the meeting.