Union Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said every village in Odisha would be given power connection and the farmers would be provided with electricity for irrigation through dedicated feeders in the next one and a half years.
Talking to mediapersons here, Goyal said Odisha would get Rs 45,000 crore from e-auction of coal in the days ahead, which the State Government can utilise for the development of the State.
He pointed out that over 50 lakh homes in the State lacked electricity connections. But the Centre would extend all facilities to Odisha under the programmes undertaken by the Modi Government for the development of eastern India, he added.
“Keeping eastern India’s development in mind, we have drawn up a plan for electrification and the Central Government is fully committed to extending all kinds of support and cooperation to the State so that Odisha gains faster from this and its benefits reach its people,” he said.
He also informed about the Centre’s help to establish eight medical colleges in the State.
later Goyal met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and discussed with him about speeding up of different projects in the State.
“Today I discussed with the Chief Minister on issues pertaining to faster implementation of different projects in the State. The Chief Minister has kept some issues before the Centre and we too have kept some issues before the State Government. Some pertaining to forest clearances, some pertaining to improvement, expansion and upgradation of railway lines,” said Goyal, briefing reporters after his meeting with the Chief Minister.