BHAWANIPATNA: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated a 220/322 KV grid substation at Baner in Kalahandi district via video conferencing on Friday.He also unveiled three 33 KV feeder lines at Baner, Ladugaon and Badkutru. With the opening of the grid, 121 villages of Jaipatna, Koksara and Kalampur blocks of the district will now get direct power supply from Indravati hydropower project 20 years after its inception.
The Chief Minister said the new projects will solve the power woes of 30,000 consumers. The supply will be extended to other parts of the district in a phased manner. Besides, the projects will boost agriculture and industrialization in the region. Till now, power generated from Indravati project was directly supplied to four circuits in Bhubaneswar, Bhanjnagar, Narendrapur and Theruvali. Power was supplied to Kalahandi from Theruvali through 132 KV grid at Kesinga. With the commissioning of the new grid substation at Baner, consumers in the district will get direct power from Indravati for the first time. This will ensure uninterrupted power supply to Kalahandi and provide a boost to mega lift irrigation projects and industries.
Energy Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra said the new grid at Baner will fulfill the long cherished dream of Kalahandi to get direct benefit from Indravati hydropower project and usher in development in the region. Work is underway to extend the power line to Junagarh from Baner. The largest hydropower project in Odisha, Indravati has four generating units each of 150 MW. The first two units were commissioned in 1999 while the third and fourth were made operational in 2000 and 2001 respectively.