BHUBANESWAR: Issuing a strong warning against unscheduled power cuts during the summer months, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday said it would not be tolerated and officials responsible for the negligence will be taken to task.
“The government will not even hesitate to send them to jail,” Majhi said while addressing a public meeting at Balianta after dedicating three grid sub-stations and eight major transmission lines developed by the Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) at a total investment of Rs 616 crore.
The chief minister said Odisha has emerged from a power-deficient state to become power-surplus. “Our government is committed to provide every citizen with uninterrupted and quality electricity services. In the past few months, by resolving power cut issues, we have been able to bring positive changes in people’s life. I have advised deputy chief minister and Energy minister KV Singh Deo to take stringent action against officials responsible for power disruption by their negligence during summer.”
Commissioning three grid sub-stations at Balianta, Satyanagar and SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, the chief minister said these projects will free nearly 33 lakh consumers in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and adjoining areas from electricity problems. The chief minister said that despite prolonged delay due to legal and technical challenges, these infrastructure projects were completed within a year of the BJP government coming to power. “Where there is strong will, the impossible becomes possible,” he said.
Describing these projects as a part of the broader plan to future-proof the increasing power needs of the state capital region, the chief minister said the power demand is projected to double from 1,000 MW to 2,000 MW by 2030. The new GIS-enabled sub-stations and integrated transmission network will improve load management, reduce outages and enhance supply stability for residential, commercial and industrial consumers, he said.
Majhi said the state capital is being integrated into a robust 132 kV and 220 kV power ring, ensuring redundancy and alternative supply routes. Plans are also underway to develop a 765 kV transmission corridor to meet future demand. He directed Tata Power to operationalise additional feeder lines to improve supply in key localities including Bhingarpur, Uttampur, Gangeswar, Pandara, Jagannath Nagar, Palasuni and nearby areas.
He said it is a matter of pride that OPTCL is the country’s only power transmission utility operating 70 grid sub-stations through remote operation, ensuring better control, faster fault resolution and optimal use of limited human resources.
Majhi also announced major investments in river rejuvenation projects in and around Bhubaneswar. These include `300 crore for the Prachi river, `75 crore for the second phase of Dhanua river project, `170 crore for Daya river and `400 crore for Daya West canal. Work on these projects is expected to commence shortly.
Singh Deo said the new infrastructure would address low-voltage issues and significantly improve service reliability.
The function was attended by Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, Jayadev MLA Nabakishore Mallik, OPTCL CMD Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma and Khurda collector Amrit Raturaj, among others.