After entering into an agreement with Jharkhand in May this year, the national leader in thermal power generation NTPC on Wednesday signed an MoU for setting up a joint venture company. The company with equity stake of 74:26 to be shared between the power major and the State Government would refurbish ailing Patratu Thermal Power Station (PTPS) by taking it up to the size of a UMPP; ie. from current capacity of 840 MW to 4,000 MW.
As per the agreement, the JV company would be promoted by the NTPC with all the required investment and consumption of entire manpower the existing PTPS has. Expansion of the power station would be taken up in two phases and generation would contribute immensely to the electricity kitty of the power-starved State.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Raghubar Das termed the agreement a path breaking step for Jharkhand.
“Energy is oxygen for development. Country needs power revolution in the line of green and blue revolutions. We have set a target to take quality power on 24x7 basis to all the households of the State by 2019 and the JV company would play decisive role in that direction,” said the CM while mentioning the step as real tribute to former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
The agreement was signed by Energy Secretary SKG Rahate and Director, Finance of NTPC IG Kapoor in the presence of State’s Chief Secretary Rajiv Gauba, NTPC’s Chairman and Managing Director Arup Roy Chaudhury besides others.
The CM termed the step like his dream coming true and thanked officials of the Jharkhand Bidyut Vitaran Nigam ltd (JBVNl) and NTPC for making it true within the set time limit. He also said that the teamwork like this would take Jharkhand into the league of developed States in the next five years.
The Chief Secretary, on the occasion, laid out future plans in the field of power generation in the State. “We have to turn the energy potential of the State into reality and for that we are providing desired fillip to Ultra Mega Power Plant of Tilaiya. Another UMPP is also lined up at Deoghar and with the JV Company coming into fore, the State would emerge as real power hub in the country in the years to come,” said Gauba.
NTPC’s CMD also lauded the role willpower exhibited by agencies involved in the process and thanked the CM for his help. He said the agreement would present a new PTPS for the State with which he also shared several sweet memories.
Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar, his Secretary Sunil Kumar Burnwal, JUSNl MD Sunil Kumar, Mecon CMD AK Tyagi, HEC CMD Abhijeet Ghosh and others were present on the occasion.