District Collector N. Yuvaraj noted down proceedings amid heavy rain and unprecedented security. The public hearing was held at project site after a spokesman of Hyderabad-based Vimta Labs, which conducted the EIA study, gave details on pollution control measures.

To start with, India’s largest power generator is evaluating a plan to set up a 1,000-megawatt (MW) per annum manufacturing capacity, which may require an investment of Rs.5,000 crore.

The company in its annual report for the fiscal 2014-15 said: ''Due to the current financial stress in the power sector in India, there are assets which may be available for acquisition. The company is evaluating and will continue to evaluate opportunities to acquire projects in various stages of development across the country. These acquisitions, if they materialise, will leverage our existing businesses in the power value chain.'' However, the company has not divulged further details with regard to brown field investment.

The company reported a net profit of Rs 2,135 crore for the quarter as compared to Rs 2,201 crore for the same quarter last financial year (2014-15). Gross generation for the June quarter stood at 58.69 billion units (BUs), a 7% decline from 63.15 BUs in the year ago period, the company said in a statement.

Meanwhile, there was a 12% y-o-y increase in generation by the private generation companies post a 20% increase in their generation capacity during Q1FY16. Thus there was a 670 bps y-o-y decline in the plant load factor (PLF) for NTPC coal stations and 400 bps y-o-y decline in PLF for the private thermal stations including both coal as well as gas stations during the same period.

Sources in the know say pursuant to discussions with the power ministry, several defunct memoranda of understanding (MOUs) that the company has signed with states to facilitate power development and purchase will be nullified.

Last week, the country's largest fossil fuel-based generation utility quietly switched on the last of the four 200 MW units of its first hydel project in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, roughly 145 km before the tourist destination of Manali.

NTPC and JKSPDCL will share equity in the ratio of 67:33 in the joint venture company for undertaking exploration, development and operation of jointly allocated Kudanali-Luburi coal block by Coal Ministry to them.

"Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has successfully commissioned all the four units of NTPC's 4x200 MW Koldam Hydro Electric Project (HEP) in Himachal Pradesh," BHEL said in a statement.

To own such power plants, NTPC is proposing to create joint ventures with state governments where it will take a majority stake. It had previously looked at acquiring private power assets, but the plan hasn't taken off as expected.