Union Power Minister dedicates NTPC’s 660 MW Super Thermal Power Project in Bihar to nation

New Delhi [India], August 18 (ANI): The Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy R K Singh on Friday dedicated to the nation a 660 MW Unit of Barh Super Thermal Power Project in Bihar. 
The 660 MW unit inaugurated today is unit 2 of stage I of the project.
The commissioning of this unit is another milestone in the government’s endeavour to provide reliable and affordable power to the nation.
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister Singh congratulated Team National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) including all engineers and workers involved in the project for successfully completing the unit.
The Minister expressed confidence that the remaining third Unit of the project will also be completed successfully. The Power Minister appreciated NTPC for fulfilling more than 90 per cent of the power requirement of Bihar.
The Minister informed that the government has transformed the country from a power deficit to a power surplus in the last nine years. "The whole country has been connected into one integrated grid running on one frequency," the union minister said.
He said that distribution systems have been strengthened on a scale that is unprecedented and that schemes for strengthening the distribution system in all States have been implemented at a sanctioned cost of more than Rs 2 lakh crores.
Singh said that the average availability of power in rural areas is 20.5 hours today and in urban areas, the average is 23.5 hours.
The Minister also said that the Ministry of Power has notified Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 under Electricity Act, 2003. Implementation of these Rules shall ensure that new electricity connections, refunds and other services are given in a time-bound manner.
Later, the Union Minister felicitated the engineers and workers associated with the completion of Unit 2 (660MW) of the Barh project. (ANI)