To ensure round -the- clock quality power to citizens in the capital region, the State Government has already spent Rs 1,246 crore under State Capital Region Improvement in Power System (SCRIPS).
Electricity is an essential component of modern-day life. With increase in population and rapid industrialisation, the power demand of the State capital region (Bhubaneswar-Cuttack) has been on a rise, said Energy Department officials.
In order to meet the increasing power demand as well as to ensure quality and reliability of power supply, the Energy Department in the year 2015-16 had approved execution of state-of-the-art distribution and transmission infrastructure under SCRIPS with a total project cost of Rs 1,492.07 crore.
The scope of the scheme includes construction of GIS grid/ primary sub-stations along with associated lines, UG cabling at prominent locations of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar and implementation of modern technology such as Smart grid etc.
Some of the underground cabling in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar have been completed while some of the projects are under execution. State owned OPTCL is implementing the scheme, which now comes under the umbrella scheme—Chief Minister’s Power Development Programme (CMPDP).
Of the Rs 1,492.07 crore approved by the Government, of which Rs 1,429.52 crore has already been released to OPTCL, till now, Rs 1,246 crore has been spent.
Highest Rs 305.10 crore has been utilised in the year 2018-19 while Rs 247.96 crore was spent in 2017-18, Rs 174.36 crore in 2016-17, Rs 129.43 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 115.57 crore in 2021-22. Similarly, the Energy Department has made an expenditure of Rs 70 crore in the launching year 2015-16 whereas Rs 99.08 crore was spent in 2019-20, and Rs 77.50 crore was utilised in 2022-23.
Due to change in scope of the scheme, the project cost increased by Rs 469.39 crore, over and above the amount earlier approved by the State Government. Therefore, the total cost of the projects under the scheme now has reached Rs 1,961.46 crore.
The State Cabinet led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has recently approved the expansion of the project cost under the scheme. As per estimation, Rs 364.98 crore will be sanctioned to OPTCL during the current year 2023-24 while Rs 166.96 crore will be given in 2024-25.