Hans News Service Bhubaneswar

OdishaChief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday inaugurated three new grid substations and eight transmission lines established at Rs 600 crore, and assured the people of Bhubaneswar and adjoining areas of uninterrupted and high-quality power supply. He said the new power facilities will benefit about 22 lakh consumers in the region.Majhi launched the new grid substations at Balianata, Satyanagar, and SCB Medical College in Cuttack, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo, who is also in charge of the Energy department and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi. “These projects, which had been stalled for many years due to legal and technical issues, have been successfully completed by our government with firm resolve in just one year. Impossible becomes possible if there is a strong willpower,” Majhi said.

He was addressing a public meeting held at Balianta and asserted that the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack will be connected by multiple feeder lines.

The Chief Minister also informed the people that the ongoing underground electricity line cabling would further ensure an uninterrupted power supply even during cyclones and rainy season. In just one year, the State-owned Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) has completed four major power projects, he said. “Out of these, the Nayapally Grid has started providing power since last year. That is why we have been able to complete the work of four grid sub-stations in just one year,” Majhi said. Noting that Bhubaneswar’s power demand, which presently stands at around 1,000 MW, is projected to be doubled to 2,000 MW by 2030, the Chief Minister said Odisha’s power system is being restructured in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India vision. For the first time, a digital grid substation has been built in the State. Similarly, there are plans to develop a 765 KV transmission system for the State capital.

Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo said, “These new grid substations will act as fresh sources of power for Bhubaneswar and Balianata. People will no longer face low-voltage issues.” On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that Rs 300 crore has been sanctioned for the restoration of thePrachi river, while Rs 75 crore has been approved for the second phase of the restoration of the Dhanua river in the Bhubaneswar-Jayadev area.

Along with this, Rs 170 crore has been approved for the restoration of the Daya river and Rs 400 crore for the restoration and improvement of the Daya West Canal under the Sanjeevani Yojana, and he announced that all the work will start soon.