By IANS
New Delhi : A decision on the 4,000 MW Sasan mega power project in Madhya Pradesh was once again deferred Monday, just three days before the expiry of bids after a ministerial group failed to decide if the winner can get the contract.
The empowered group of ministers has decided to meet again July 24, even as the validity period of the winning bid has been extended to Aug 5, Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who presided over the meeting, told reporters here.
"There are still some problems," the minister said. "It requires some time."
The dispute over the project, proposed in Madhya Pradesh, arose after Lanco's foreign partner Globeleq of Singapore sold its 70 percent stake in the joint venture to Lanco and Jindal Steel and Power after winning the bid.
Anil Ambani's Reliance Energy was the nearest bidder, followed by the state-run National Thermal Power Corp. All three companies have extended the validity of the bid bonds.
The ministerial group was set up to eliminate delays due to technical and legal issues in implementing ultra mega power projects. They were, however, mandated to only expedite matters and not examine the bids per se.