Gidderbaha power project awaits coal allocation
Ravi Dhaliwal

Gidderbaha (Muktsar), September 22
With the Coal Ministry not having allocated coal for 2640 Mega Watt Gidderbaha power project, the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) would have to extend deadline for submission of Request For Qualification (RFQ) documents till November 16, said, senior engineers in Patiala. Chairman of the PSEB H S Brar remained incommunicado .

Earlier the RFQ documents were to be submitted by bidders till September 16. Now this date has been extended by a month. For the sixth time Gidderbaha Power Limited, a company floated the PSEB, to oversee the project, has extended the cut- off date. PSEB top brass maintains the date for submission of RTQs has been extended as more firms for “competitive bidding’ were needed.” However it is learnt the Coal India Limited has yet to provide allocation of coal which is hindering the bidding process.

More than 2000 acres is being acquired by Gidderbaha Power Limited. After coal allocation is cleared , the land will be handed over to the successful bidder when process of submission of RFQs is over.

The Rs 13,000- crore project, to be operated on build, own and operate (BOO) basis, has invited interest of Larsen and Toubro, Reliance Power, Adani infrastructure, India Bulls Power Services and the Bangalore- based GMR energy which, has stake in Indonesian coal fields. Sources said bids would be finalised through tariff- based international competitive bidding (ICB), on the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Power. Bidding will have two stages - first the RFQ and the Request For Proposal (RFP) part will be gone through before finalising bids . The Railways have given clearance for the transportation of coal at the site. The project, coming up in the Chief Minister’s home district, will take shape on coal allocations by the Coal Ministry