CM Majhi Clears 13 Illegal Quarries to Kickstart Stalled Chandikhol Strategic Oil Reserve

11 Apr 2026, 12:31 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

After years of delays, the Chandikhol Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) project is finally picking up speed. The Odisha government has officially handed over the land needed for the project to Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), breaking the deadlock that’s kept this ₹8,743 crore project on hold since 2018.

Industry groups and trade associations in Odisha didn’t waste any time thanking Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for getting the ISPRL Chandikhol SPR project off the ground at last.

The biggest obstacle was a cluster of 13 illegal stone quarries operating on the 400-acre site at Dankari hill, Jajpur district. Even though officials had marked out the land years ago, they couldn’t finalize the lease because those quarries kept running, sparking a mess of legal fights and environmental worries that even landed before the National Green Tribunal.

Now, with things finally moving, people see big economic benefits for the region. Industry groups talk about major investments, new jobs, and a local economy that stands to gain across the board—from MSMEs and logistics players to construction firms. By pushing this project ahead, the state government isn’t just building an oil reserve; they’re showing a real commitment to big infrastructure, and trade leaders think this is exactly what’s needed to draw more downstream industries into the Jajpur-Chandikhol industrial corridor and make it easier to do business here.