After completing land acquisition process, civil works for the proposed Super Thermal Power Plant (STPP) of NTPC at Darlipali in Sundargarh district are likely to be kicked off from Tuesday. The district administration has committed to hand over physical possession of 80 per cent of the required land by Monday.
The STPP envisages to set up four units, each of 800 MW capacity at Darlipali of Lefripara block. In the first phase, two units with combined strength of 1600 MW would be commissioned at a cost of ` 11,800 crores.
Talking to this paper, Sundargarh Collector Rupa Roshan Sahu asserted that physical possession of 80 per cent of land would be handed over by Monday with rest land to be provided shortly.
In fact, the administration aggressively pursued the land acquisition as it was running against a strict deadline set by the State Government.
NTPC sources said the land requirement for the STPP has been revised downward to 1,800 acres at Darlipali and Raidihi villages which comprised around 1,278 acres of the private land. Expressing confidence that the works would start from Tuesday, the company officials said the two units would reach generation stage in four years.
The STPP is running at least two years behind schedule. Well-placed sources in the administration said the affected families of Dulinga coal mines of NTPC are seeking rehabilitation package at par with OPGC mines.
The OPGC’s case would be settled by next month following which land acquisition for NTPC mines at Hemgir block would be wrapped up in quick succession.
AGM in-charge of NTPC’s Dulinga coal mines Chitta Ranjan Barik said around 400 families would be fully affected and 600 partially in villages of Dulinga, Majhapada, Beldihi, Khapurikachar,
Katpali, Khuntijharia, Kalamegha and part of Manoharpur. He said the administration is extending all necessary support and the NTPC has stepped up community development initiatives for the benefit of the villages.
The land needed for the coal mining project has been revised downward to at 2100 acres. As the said land would be acquired under the Coal Bearing Act, it does not involve much technical hitches.