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Union Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal held a detailed review meeting with senior officials of the government of Odisha on the state's power sector development on Sunday in the state capital Bhubaneswar.
As per a statement from the Union Ministry of Power, the discussions covered key issues including fly ash utilization, capacity addition, transmission infrastructure, and power allocation. During the meeting, on the issue of achieving fly ash utilization targets Manohar Lal assured that a joint meeting with the Ministries of Coal, Environment, and Railways will be convened to address the issue comprehensively, including the provision of adequate rail rakes for long-distance transportation of fly ash. Highlighting the need to meet growing power demands, the state government informed that Odisha currently has 20 GW of operational coal-based thermal power capacity, with an additional 10 GW in the pipeline, expected to be commissioned over the next 5-6 years. The Union Minister encouraged the development of more pit-head thermal power plants in Odisha, including through joint ventures with generation companies of other states. On the transmission front, Odisha shared its intra-state planning strategy and recent progress in strengthening supply to cities like Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The Union power minister was also apprised of the steps taken by the Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) to resolve Right of Way (RoW) issues. He informed that the proposal for establishing a green energy corridor within the intrastate transmission network of Odisha will be taken up by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) after March 31, 2025, upon completion of the compilation process. Regarding the inclusion of Odisha in the subsequent phase of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), the Union Minister assured that the matter would be taken up appropriately. On power allocation, he stated that Odisha will receive adequate power from Phase II of NLCIL's Talabira Thermal Power Project in line with Ministry of Power guidelines. "The (Minister's) visit reflects the Centre's commitment to strengthening Odisha's power infrastructure and facilitating sustainable growth in the energy sector," said the power ministry statement. (ANI)
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