The Centre has not yet accorded the status of ultra mega power project (UMPP) to the 4,000 mega watt thermal power plant to be set up by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in Karnataka, said Jairam Ramesh, minister of state for power and commerce.
Talking to FE, Ramesh said NTPC has to make an application to get UMPP status for its Rs 20,000 crore plant that would come at Kudigi village in Bijapur district. ?If the project meets the conditions of the mega power status, the government will consider,? he added.
However, the Karnataka government in its cabinet meeting in September 2008 had approved for setting up 4,000 mw UMPP at Kudigi. Now the state government (Karnataka being the host state) has made an appeal to the Union government to allot 80% of the power generated through this project.
In fact, the Centre had allotted a 4,000 mw UMPP for Karnataka to be set up in Tadadi village in Uttar Kannada district. But the state government could not proceed with the project as it faced severe protests from local environmentalists.
However, without taking any final decision on Tadadi project, the state government now has proposed for second UMPP in Karnataka in Kudigi, a senior official in the state energy department said. The Kudigi power project will be established in two phases on 3,000 acres of land, the official added.