Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday requested Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to ensure central assistance to make the state self-suffient in energy and accord priority to coal linkages for expanding Barauni thermal power plant.
Kumar, who met Shinde along with a high level delegation during the day, drew his attention to the shortage of power in the state and discussed the projects pending in the energy sector, official sources said.
The chief minister also requested Shinde to ensure allocation of coal linkage and coal blocks for other power projects in Bihar.
He later told newsmen that Shinde had assured him of making special effort at the next meeting for allocation of coal linkages to meet his request on Barauni Thermal power plant.
Bihar would get around 650 MW after execution of NTPC project phase II in Patna district, Kumar said.
Union power secretary P Yadav, state energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav, chief secretary Navin Kumar, state energy secretary Ajay Nayak, NTPC-CMD A R Choudhary, state development commissioner A K Sinha, BSEB chairman P K Rai, PGCIL CMD R N Naik were also present during the meeting.
