To ensure quality power supply in the backward areas, the State Government has sanctioned input equity support of Rs 250 crore to the Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) for construction of 18 new transmission projects in the backward areas.
Chief Secretary AP Padhi sanctioned the proposal and asked the Energy Department to complete the transmission projects by scheduled March 2022 at a meeting held at the State Secretariat.
Energy Secretary Hemant Kumar Sharma said that these projects would strengthen the system for stable and reliable power supply to the backward areas where presently available voltage is comparatively low. Sanctioned projects included construction of new 400/220KV, 220/33 KV and 132/33 KV substations at different places namely Lapanga and Maneswar in Sambalpur district, Ghens in Bargarh district, Godachhak in Dhenkanal district, Kalimela in Malkangiri district, Keonjhar in Keonjhar district, Narisnghpur in Cuttack district, Satasankha in Puri district, Bhograi in Balesar district, Birmaharajpur in Subarnapur district, Chikiti and Aska in Ganjam district, Tirtol in Jagatsinghpur district, Agarapada in Bhadrakh district and G Udayagiri in Kandhamal district.
The estimated cost of these projects varies in the range of Rs 27 crore to Rs 126 crore. Besides, the input support for 132 KV Kuchei to Jaleswar transmission line at Rs 41.34 crore and 400KV IB to Lapanga transmission line in Jharsuguda district at Rs 26.44 crore were also sanctioned.