The State-owned NTPC will start the 1,000-crore rupee expansion project of its Bongaigaon power plant in Assam on Thursday for meeting the growing power requirement of the region. <br/> <br/>PTI quoting senior government official reports, Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde will lay the foundation stone for the expansion project at Kumguri village in the Kokrajhar district. <br/> <br/>NTPC plans to raise its power generation capacity to 50,000 MW by 2012, from the current 31,000 MW.<br/>