With a view to open price bids next month, National Thermal Power Corporation will begin discussions with four bidders, including Reliance Industries, for supplying three million tonnes of LNG.

"We are finalising the schedule for holding consultations with individual bidders... we are hoping to open the price bids by the end of next month," NTPC chairman and managing director C P Jain told PTI.

Three multinationals -- Petronas of Malaysia, Royal/Dutch Shell and Yemen LNG -- had qualified to supply of 3 million tonnes LNG a year for 17 years while the domestic major

Reliance Industries too cleared the technical hurdle for supply of 4.14 billion cubic meters of natural gas to NTPC's Kawas and Gandhar power projects in Gujarat.

Jain confirmed that NTPC would pick upto 26 per cent stake in the joint venture for importing LNG.

NTPC has decided to set up the gas-based projects of 1300 MW each only at Kawas and Gandhar, while putting on hold two locations of Anta and Auriya.