Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station of West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited

West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited

West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited is a company owned by the Government of West Bengal with the goal to carry on interalia the business of electric power generation and supply in the state of West Bengal, India...

 is a power station

Power station

A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....

 with an installed capacity of 630 MW and it is undergoing expansion of capacity to the extent of 420 MW.

Location

Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station is located at 23.83°N 87.45°E in Chinpai and Bhurkuna gram panchayat areas of Birbhum district

Birbhum district

Birbhum district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is located at Suri...

 in the India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n state

States and territories of India

India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...

 of West Bengal

West Bengal

West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...

. It is located off the Panagarh–Morgram Highway, on the bank of Bakreshwar River

Bakreshwar River

The Bakreshwar River is a tributary of the Mayurakshi River. It originates in Santhal Parganas division of Jharkhand. It then flows through Birbhum district and meets the Kopai River...

 some distance downstream from the hot springs and temple at Bakreshwar

Bakreshwar

Bakreshwar is a town in the Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station of West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited is located some distance away from the town.-Etymology:...

. Chinpai railway station on the Andal

Andal

Andal is the the only female Alvar of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. She is credited with the great Tamil works of Thirupavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi that are still recited by devotees during the Winter festival season of...

–Sainthia

Sainthia

Sainthia is a town and a municipality in Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town is famous for Nandikeshwari Temple, one of the Shakti Peethas in India.-Geography:...

 branch line is nearby.

Capacity

Three units of 210 MW each were commissioned in 1999 and 2001. For the first three units Japan Bank for International Cooperation

Japan Bank for International Cooperation

The , also known by its acronym, JBIC, is a Japanese public financial institution and export credit agency, and was created on October 1, 1999, through the merging of the Japan Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund ....

 gave a loan of 80.8 million yen

Japanese yen

The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...

 or around Rs. 2,525 crore

Crore

A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....

. The first unit was completed in a record time of 37 months and commissioned on 17 July 1999. The yardstick of Central Electricity Authority

Central Electricity Authority of India

The Central Electricity Authority of India is a statutory organisation constituted under section 3 of Electricity Supply Act 1948, which has been superseded by section 70 of the Electricity Act 2003...

 for construction of power units of 200–250 MW is 48 months.

Bakreshwar power project stage II involves installation of two units of 210 mW each at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore.

Neel Nirjan

The reservoir formed by erecting a dam in Bakreshwar River named Neel Nirjan (meaning blue solitude), for providing water to the thermal power plant, is gaining in popularity as a tourist spot.

Political imbroglio

Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station was embroiled in political tussle for many years. It was initially proposed to be set up with central assistance but central funding was not forthcoming, in spite of the best efforts of the West Bengal leadership. Once the Left Front

Left Front

The Left Front is an alliance of Indian leftist parties. After a 34-year reign in West Bengal, the Left Front was swept from power in the 2011 election...

formed its government in 1977, Bakreshwar was in deeper political trouble. The delays over providing central funds for the project were cited by the Marxist leaders as another instance of the Centre’s “step-motherly” attitude to West Bengal. For several years, the Bakreshwar project was held up because the Soviet Union was requested to provide financial assistance. The Soviet funds never came even after several years of wait and negotiations. It was finally built by the state government,