Bhubaneswar, Mar 23: Union Minister of Power Manohar Lal held a detailed review meeting here on Sunday with senior Odisha government officials on the development of the state’s power sector.

The discussions covered key issues including fly ash utilisation, capacity addition, transmission infrastructure, and power allocation.

Manohar Lal assured the state that a joint meeting with the ministries of Coal, Environment, and Railways will be convened to comprehensively address the issue of fly ash disposal. This would include the provision of adequate rail rakes for long-distance transportation of the 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 five to six years. The Union Minister encouraged the development of more pit-head thermal power plants in Odisha, including through joint ventures with GENCOs 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 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 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.

He assured the state that the Centre was working to strengthen Odisha’s power infrastructure and facilitate sustainable growth in the energy sector.

--IANS

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