
      The Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, NTPC
        chairman-cum-managing director T   Sankaralingam and
        energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav, were present   at
        the bipartite agreement for the super thermal power
        project estimated   to cost Rs 9,000 crore.
        
        According to Sankaralingam the work will start   by
        March or April and the first unit of 660 MW will be
        commissioned in 51   months time. The second and third
        unit will be commissioned after the gap of   every six
        months. The cost of power will be cheaper––around Rs 2
        per unit.   The installation cost per MW will come to Rs
        4.5 crore.
        
        Nitish said   that 75 per cent of the power generated in
        Nabinagar will be allocated to   BSEB and the rest 25
        per cent to the joint venture company. The   chief
        minister also said that Kanti and Barauni were being
        expanded to 500   MW each. In Kanti a new unit for 250
        MW will also be commissioned within   three years. He
        said that some private sector companies have also
        shown   interest in power generation.
        
        Nitish appealed to the BSEB workers   to work with
        dedication so that power availability be increased.
        
        The   debt-equity ratio of the company will be 70:30.
        The equity will be financed   equally by the NTPC and
        BSEB which will come to Rs 1,350 crore each and   the
        loan portion is proposed to be financed from domestic
        borrowing and   bonds.
        
        It needs to be mentioned that the former Prime
        Minister Rajiv   Gandhi, during his visit to Bihar two
        decades back announced the setting up   of a power plant
        in Nabinagar, but the project failed to take off.