The State Government has decided to upgrade the power infrastructure at Puri and Konark before the Nabakalebar festival next year, Energy Secretary PK Jena said here on Friday.
Attending a high-level meeting, Jena said a total of `305 crore would be invested in the proposed project. He said l and T would undertake the underground power cabling in Puri at an estimated investment of `108 crore from August 2014. The cabling would spread across 21 km area and supply 33 KV power to seven zones, he said, adding that the work is scheduled to be completed before March 2015.
He said renovation to 33/11 KV substations would be effected at Kumbharpada, Baliapanda, Talabania, Charinala, Chakratirtha road and Kacheri. Besides, there is a proposal to replace the 11 KV electric wires in around 40 km area and to install 60 new distribution transformers in the city.
“The Puri district administration has provided 17 acres of land to set up a high-power Grid station at Samagara at a cost of `81.66 crore to meet the energy demand for next 20 years,” Jena said. Now Puri district is supplied only 80 MW of power when the actual demand stands at 120 MW.
Besides, 170 towers will be erected from Pandiabila village near Uttara up to Samagara covering a distance of around 52-km, which will facilitate transmission of 220 KV line to Puri, Konark and Samuka project adequately.
Also, 40 MW power would be provided for running of trains after the doubling of the Khordha Road-Puri railway route is completed, Jena informed. The meeting also reviewed the progress of 132/33 KV substation at Konark. The Rs 29-crore project started in 2011 and is expected to be completed by October this year. So far, 30 out of a total target of 76 towers have been completed, the Energy Secretary informed.
He said sixty per cent of the Rs 21-crore Samuka Belabhumi substation project has been completed. Informed that the Konark and Samuka Belabhumi project have been delayed due to land problems, Jena said he has asked the Puri district Collector and SP to hold discussions with concerned villagers to expedite the project and complete the same before the Nabakalebar due in July 2015.
Among others, district Collector Dhiren Kumar Patnaik, SP Anup Kumar Sahoo, Cesu chief executive officer Sudarshan Nayak and Cesu executive engineer Siba Prasad Swain were present.