It has commissioned three leading international consultants -- Rust Kennedy & Donkin (technical), Lister Ellison (legal) and Price Waterhouse (financial) -- for this.

Power Department sources said the three consultants will assist the HSEB in determining the bidding process -- from request for qualification (RFP) to financial closure. The consultants were commissioned last month through an elaborate process suggested by the World Bank -- it has agreed to fund the exercise, which is estimated to cost $1.5 million (approximately Rs 6 crore) under the project funding facility.

The state government plans to award the two coal-based projects by the end of the current financial year. However, the stations will be set-up in two phases of 500 (2 x 250) MW each. The process of acquisition of 1100 acres of land for the power station at Hisar is expected to be completed by June 30, according to senior power department official. Thereafter, the government plans to move for the mandatory clearances from the Central Electricity Authority and Ministry of Power for the Hisar project.

As for the Yamunanagar project, the approvals and fuel linkages are there. Though the project was cleared by the central government in 1984, the state authorities could not progress due to shortage of funds. Later, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) was approached for the project but things didn't move. In the early 90s, the Haryana government decided to adopt the memorandum of understanding (MoU) route and tied-up with an Israeli firm. However, the MoU was cancelled by the Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal after he assumed office in 1996.

Besides, the state is planning to set-up 25 MW liquid fuel based power plants at about two dozen sites. The liquid fuel linkages have already been approved by the Union Ministry of Power, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and oil companies. The projects will be set-up in the next 2-3 years.