Odisha CM says Keonjhar will be developed as the second Jamshedpur of eastern India, lays foundation stone for 400/220 KV grid substation

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Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today took another big step to transform Keonjhar district into a prosperous industrial hub. On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das, he laid the foundation stone of a 420/220 KV grid substation to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1647 crore at Uchhabali in the district.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister announced that Keonjhar will be developed as the second Jamshedpur of eastern India. It is worth noting that he inaugurated five new transmission lines including a sub station for Uchhabali and Keonjhar in today’s program. This project will benefit about 7.17 lakh consumers in Keonjhar Sadar, Telkoi, Jhumpura, Joda and Badabil areas. Majhi said that the identity of a developed society is quality and uninterrupted electricity service, so we are committed to making Keonjhar, which is rich in mineral resources.

Highlighting the various features of the project, the Chief Minister said in his speech said that the entire region will be connected to a strong network, he pointed out that the entire region will be connected to electricity through the 400 kV LILO line, TTPS-Joda and Turumunga-Rairangpur lines. This will help maintain a balance between industrial and domestic demand.

Announcing a major step to prevent power disruption, the Chief Minister said, “The improvement of Badabil and Palaspanga grids is our priority. We are going to implement the Hotline Maintenance system, so that repairs can be done even when electricity is flowing through the wires. There will be no need to cut power for repairs anymore.”

Majhi emphasized on making the state’s power management system smart and said, “We are taking Odisha towards digitalization. The new State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC) built in Mancheswar will act as a ‘heart’ for the state’s power management. In addition, 70 grids will be managed remotely through the STAMS project and faults will be resolved immediately.

The Chief Minister expressed hope that these modern systems will promote industrial growth in Keonjhar district and make Odisha’s future power transmission system world-class.

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He further said that while there were 16 lakh electricity consumers in the state in 2000, it has reached 1 crore today. To sustain this growth, 34 more new grid substations will be built in the state by 2036. In particular, plans have been made to build 765 kV grids for the first time in Bhubaneswar, Jajpur, Jharsuguda and Gajapati. OPTCL will now make a ‘hotline maintenance’ arrangement, so that the wires can be repaired without disconnecting the power supply. Similarly, the new State Load Dispatch Center (SLDC) at Mancheswar will make power management even smarter.

The Chief Minister reiterated his commitment to Keonjhar in his speech and said, “I have repeatedly said that Keonjhar will be turned into a golden Kenjhar by filling it with mines. It has been bringing prosperity to the state for so long, now it is time to give back its rights to Keonjhar.”

On this occasion, he informed about the work of the huge ring road and the upcoming mega steel plant and said that Japan’s famous JFE Steel has been proposed to set up a factory in Keonjhar, which will produce future ‘electrical steel’. Keeping in mind the growing industrial demand in the district, an infrastructure is being prepared to meet the needs of the next 20 years.

At the event, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said, “Our government is working hard to ensure the expansion of the entire power system in the state. Today’s grid sub-station will not only be in Keonjhar, but its power supply will also be extended to Sundargarh, Angul, and Bainda areas. In the coming days, we aim to provide electricity to all the remote areas in Keonjhar area where there is no electricity connection. On the instructions of the Prime Minister, the entire Odisha will come out of the power crisis by 2028.”

Keonjhar MP Anant Nayak, Telkoi MLA Fakir Mohan Naik, Champua MLA Sanatan Mahakud, OPTCL CMD Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma, District Collector Vishal Singh were prominently present at the event.

Also Read: 178th Birth Anniversary Of Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das Observed Across Odisha

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