Already, the power giant has begun 'Operation Wind Up' and shifted 70 of its 200 staff from Jharkhand. More are to pull out.

NHPC Chairman Yogendra Prasad, in an interview with the Hindustan Times, said the project remains grounded despite the assurance of Chief Minister Babulal Marandi. In his two meetings with Marandi earlier, he had been assured that the green signal would be given at an 'appropriate time'. "We do not know when this 'appropriate time' will come. We are losing patience," he said.

The NHPC chief, who met Power Minister Lalchand Mahto recently and received a 'positive response', is sceptical of the end result. However, he has given the State Government three months, till March next year, to take a 'decision' or allow the project to wind up.

Prasad said that all the legal formalities, which the Jharkhand Government was supposed to complete before it gave the go ahead to the project, are still pending.

The State Government has to notify the apex committee, executive board and other sub-committees for implementation of the rehabilitation plan. This apart, the government has to immediately sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for execution of the project and the power purchase agreement. The Bihar Government had signed all the agreements.

The Jharkhand Government just has to ratify them. Apprehending that the 'loss' of the power project would hamper the industrialisation in the new State, Prasad said that Jharkhand's apathy to the power project was 'unusual' and 'surprising', when one compares the 'positive response' from other states. He said the NHPC has signed a joint venture with the West Bengal Government for setting up 1,500-MW pump storage projects at Purulia (900 MW) and Turga (600) respectively. Koel-Karo officials are now to be shifted there.

NHPC chief Yogendra Prasad said the rehabilitation package, formulated under SC guidelines, is the best in the country and would usher a sea change in the economic condition of the Koel-Karo evacuees.