Kendrapara:
Hopes for establishment of a thermal power plant in this district soared after completion of works on Haridaspur-Paradip new broad gauge rail route, a report said.
The completion of work on the Haridaspur-Paradip rail route has opened up fresh avenues in Kendrapara, a predominantly agricultural district.
Establishment of a thermal power plant has now acquired prominence as the new rail route will play an important role in transporting coal to be used as raw material by the power plant.
The Chennai-based M/s SPI Port Pvt Ltd (SPIPL) which agreed to establish the plant also has come forward. The company had planned to export coal from Indonesia and Australia through Paradip Port and the new route for transportation of coal from inside the country.
The rail route has been examined by running a tower car. Reports said that goods train will start plying on this route by August end.
Observers claimed that the rail route would pave the way for establishment of a thermal power plant as promised by the state government. The state government had promised to establish two 660 megawatt-based thermal power plant in Mahakalapara tehsil in 2011.
Later, the state energy secretary signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the director of Chennai based-M/s SPI Port Pvt Ltd (SPIPL) in this regard. The MoU was signed as per the Company Act-1956, January 3, 2011.
As per the agreement, the plant will be constructed on 875 acres provided by the state government within a period of 60 months. The plant outlay was initially pegged at Rs 6609.60 crore which was later raised to Rs 8,845 crore.
The plant after completion will produce electricity from which 12 to 14 per cent of power will be purchased by the state energy department at a rate fixed by the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC).
Meanwhile, the district administration has acquired 875 acres in the revenue villages of Alailo, Bilipada, Nachhipada and Niyamatpur villages under Mahakalapara tehsil and handed it over to SPIPL. Out of the acquired land, 840 acres are farmlands are lying unutilised after acquisition.
As per the MoU, the company will use 565 acres for establishment of the plant, 125 acres for the rail route and laying of water pipelines while a township will come up on 50 acres and green cover on 260 acres.
Residents Sibashis Mohanty, Alaya Samantray, Pratap Chandra Padhi, Banambar Sahu and Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra have demanded that the state government intervene and speed up the establishment of the thermal power plant following completion of the rail route. They said the power plant will draw more industries to the district.
PNN