KEONJHAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday announced the plan to develop Keonjhar as the ‘second Jamshedpur of eastern India’.
“The state government is committed to transforming mineral-rich Keonjhar into a hub of prosperity. The district, which has long contributed to the state’s prosperity through its mineral wealth, would now receive focused development,” Majhi said highlighting the upcoming infrastructure projects including a ring road and the proposed mega plant by JFE Steel in Keonjhar.
On the occasion, the chief minister laid the foundation stone for a 420/220 KV grid substation at Uchabali in Joda block, to be developed at a cost of Rs 1,647 crore. He also inaugurated five new transmission lines, including an additional substation, aimed at strengthening the region’s power infrastructure. The initiatives are expected to benefit around 7.17 lakh consumers across Keonjhar Sadar, Telkoi, Jhumpura, Joda and Barbil.
Majhi said the region would be integrated into a strong power network through key transmission lines, ensuring a balance between industrial and domestic electricity demand. The state will implement the Hotline Maintenance system soon, so that repairs can be done even when the power is flowing through the wires without disrupting the power supply.
Emphasising on making the state’s power management system smart, he said, “We are taking Odisha towards digitalisation. The new State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC) built at Mancheswar in Bhubaneswar will act as a heart for Odisha’s power management. In addition, 70 grids will be managed remotely through the STAMS project and faults will be resolved immediately.”
Highlighting Odisha’s power sector growth, the chief minister said the number of electricity consumers in the state has risen from 16 lakh in 2000 to over one crore at present. To meet the rising demand, 34 new grid substations are planned by 2036, including the state’s first 765 kV grids in Bhubaneswar, Jajpur, Jharsuguda and Gajapati.
Among others, deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo, Keonjhar MP Anant Nayak, Telkoi MLA Fakir Mohan Naik, Champua MLA Sanatan Mahakud, collector Vishal Singh, and OPTCL CMD Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma were present.
Earlier in the day, the chief minister paid tributes to Madhusudan Das on his 178th birth anniversary at the Keonjhar collectorate, describing him as the chief architect of Odisha’s formation and a symbol of Odia pride and self-respect.
He also attended the golden jubilee celebrations of BNK High School at Purushottampur under Champua block. Announcing a grant of `7 crore, he said the school would be upgraded to a PM Shri High School.
