Empowered Group of Ministers on ultra mega power projects bidding norms to meet on July 25

NEW DELHI: An inter-ministerial panel on bidding guidelines for power plants will meet on July 25 to finalise the norms for projects like the ultra mega power projects ( UMPPs).

"The Empowered Group of Ministers ( EGoM) on bidding norms will meet next Thursday. The group will discuss standard bidding documents for case-II projects, where the fuel source is known," a senior power ministry official said.

The government will re-start auction of power projects once the bidding norms are finalised by the inter-ministerial panel headed by Defence Minister A.K Antony.

Auction of two UMPPs of 4,000-mw power generation capacity at Bedhabhal in Orissa and Surguja in Chhattisgarh was stopped mid way as the government decided to change the bidding norms.

The government has so far awarded four UMPPs at Sasan in Madhya Pradesh, Mundra in Gujarat, Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Tilaiaya in Jharkhand.