The construction of a new 1,320 MW plant of Talcher Thermal under the management of NTPC has started. As per schedule, the infrastructure and construction work is going on at various places of the plant. However, the road from Talcher Thermal Anand Bazar National Highway to Jagannathpur which passes through the plant has now been decided to be closed for the construction of the new plant.
Adjudicating on a petition by the people protesting the closure of the road in this regard, the Orissa High Court has ordered the district administration and local Sub Collector to solve the problem and inform the court about the steps being taken.
Accordingly, a meeting was convened under the chairmanship of Talcher Sub Collector Biswaranjan Rath. Dhenkanal MP Mahesh Sahu, Talcher MLA Braj Kishore Pradhan, Sarpanches of various panchayats, local residents and the DGM of NTPC were present at the meeting.
Many people including Rohit Kumar, one of the managers of NTPC, SDPO Dev Kumar and IIC S Sethi were present. The people's representatives and villagers clearly demanded that the thermal authorities should take appropriate steps to build a new road through the thermal plant.
Presently, the villagers use the road of 1km distance to reach Anand Bazar National Highway. The distance of the bypass road will be about 3 km. The villagers said that the bypass road is unsafe. It was decided in the meeting that NTPC will provide adequate street lights, CCTV system and CISF and police patrolling on the bypass road.
A representative of the villagers and the people present voted in favour of setting up the power plant. As NTPC is neglecting the local area, MPs and MLAs reprimanded the NTPC authorities and proposed to hire the local residents, especially the laidoff workers on a preferential basis, give proper compensation to the injured and priority to the local youth in the construction work. They threatened to hold agitation against NTPC if the suggestions were not accepted.