Power Finance Corporation (PFC) has further extended bid submission for the Bedabahal ultra mega power project (UMPP) in the state of Orissa by two months, pending environmental clearance for the associated coal blocks.
The existing bid submission date for the project is March 3. ?We have been advised by the power ministry to defer bid date for the Bedabhal UMPP two months,? an official in PFC told FE. PFC is the nodal agency for conducting bidding for the project.
This is the fifth extension in bidding date for the project, for which notice was issued by PFC in July.
The ministry of environment and forests has declined to provide approval for mining work in the Meenakshi B, part of which falls in the ?no-go? area.
Pending resolution of the issue, PFC cannot go ahead with bidding for the project.
Meanwhile, the bidding for the Chhattisgarh UMPP also remains stalled for similar reasons.
The government has bid out four UMPPs so far.
Of these, three ? Sasan, Tilaiya and Krishnapatnam have been bagged by Reliance Power while the fourth one at Mundra has been bagged by Tata Power.