Former Deputy Prime Minister and BJP patriarch lK Advani will dedicate the 500 MW Hasdeo Thermal Power Expansion Project in Korba to the people of the State on Monday.
After inauguration of the thermal power project, Advani will proceed to perform Bhoomi Pujan for a key Irrigation Project in Bilaspur district, an official press release issued here on Sunday stated. The former Deputy Prime Minister will arrive from New Delhi in Raipur in a special aircraft at 11 am at the Swami Vivekanand airport and leave for Korba by helicopter at 11.30 am on Monday.
In State's energy city Korba, Advani will inaugurate the Chhattisgarh Government’s 500 MW Hasdeo Thermal Power Expansion Project at 12 noon before proceeding to Bilaspur district to perform the Bhoomi Pujan for the Arpa-Bhaisajhar Irrigation Project at 2.50 pm. Chief Minister Raman Singh and his senior Cabinet colleagues besides senior BJP leaders would be present on the occasion.
Advani would also address public meetings in both Korba and Bilaspur districts before returning to Raipur by helicopter at 4.20 pm. He would depart for New Delhi at 4.25 pm in a special aircraft. Notably, Chief Minister Raman Singh who holds the Energy portfolio had prepared the Action Plan for setting up of the Hasdeo Thermal Power Project a few years back which had led to the commissioning of a new 250 MW unit .
The 500 MW unit to be inaugurated on Monday by the former Deputy Prime Minister would be the second key achievement of the Chhattisgarh Government for the project in the power sector. The total cost incurred in the commencement of the unit amounted to Rs 3,671 crore. After the commencement of the 500 MW unit of the project, the power generation capacity of the combined unit would go up from 1,924 MW to 2,424 MW. This would also be the biggest power generation unit in Korba with 12 units already operational under the project in the district, the press release claimed.
This apart, the Irrigation project at Arpa-Bhainsajhar in Bilaspur district to be set up by the State Water Resources Department has a cost outlay of an estimated Rs 625 crore under which a massive Barrage would be constructed as part of the project. After the completion of the project, 25,000 hectares of agricultural land of farmers in a total of 92 villages would be able to receive water in their farm lands. The State Government during the current financial year 2013-14 has kept a budget provision of Rs 50 crore for the project.