The OHPC Employees Unions Coordination Committee on Wednesday alleged that the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) is not in a good shape due to lack of interest and foresightedness of the State Government to strengthen the corporation.
Addressing mediapersons here, committee chairman Ramesh Chandra Satpathy said the State Government had constituted the OHPC in 1996 by taking seven hydro power projects into its fold. The aim and objective of the corporation is to maintain and renovate the existing hydro power projects and set up new projects in order to supply power to the people of the State at a reasonable price, he added. Still now, Satpathy said, the State could not establish a single project during last 18 years as a result of which the productivity of the corporation is coming down.
He also alleged that the State failed to renovate the hydro power projects at Machhkund, Burla and Poteru, while the Govt recklessly established two units of Balimela power project that could not increase the capacity of the project. “The State has been increasing power tariff and also buying electricity from other parties, but failed to establish new projects to supply power to people of the State in low price,” Satpathy said and added that the State needs to strengthen its corporation by taking appropriate steps for the development of the projects.