President Pranab Mukherjee has emphasised on a more humane approach from major power projects, asking for their willingness to help in relieving woes of the masses. He sought projects that kept aspirations of the locals in mind.
Mukherjee was speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of the 1,320-MW captive thermal power plant of Jindal Steel Power ltd (JSPl) at Godda on Tuesday. The President said industrial projects like power plants would act as a catalyst for greater regional development. “People of the region should also benefit from them. locals should have access to power,” he added.
Governor Syed Ahmed and JSPl chairman Naveen Jindal (MP) were present on the occasion.
JSPl’s plant is the first in Jharkhand based on super critical technology and is part of the company’s plans to set up 12-mtpa steel plants and 2,712 MW captive power plants in phases.
Congratulating JSPl on setting up Santhal Pargana’s first power plant, Mukherjee said, “Power is the most vital need today — be it industry, agriculture or residences. Power generation has a direct impact on the economy. Coal-rich States must have regular power supply for people.”
The Godda plant entails an investment of Rs 8,500 crore and will have two units of 660 MW each. Power will be supplied to the company’s 6-mtpa Patratu/Asanboni steel plants.
Jindal said, “The 1,320-MW power plant is yet another milestone for JSPl. It will not only help in solving power shortage in the region and State, but also aid in overall development of Santhal Pargana. We will work with the participation of the people so they feel it is their own plant.”
The plant has obtained all statutory clearances and land is also being acquired through the Government acquisition route, with consent of villagers. Part of the coal requirement will be sourced from the Jitpur block, 10 km from the project site with environment-friendly technology, the cross-country pipe conveyor.
Meanwhile, the President also laid the foundation stones for a polytechnic college and a mega textile cluster at Godda to provide handloom weavers and artisans with modern technology and marketing techniques.
Mukherjee stressed on education — especially vocational education — for the youth, recollecting that uprisings against the British rule originated from Jharkhand’s soil in the form of Tilka Manjhi, Sidho, Kanho and Birsa Munda.
later, Mukherjee also inaugurated a 14-MW solar project and laid the foundation stone for pilgrims queue complex and a 44-km solar street light project at Deoghar. He also performed puja at Baidyanath Dham Temple. The queue complex of 18,000-plus capacity is meant to streamline darshan during shravan.
It was a proud moment for the President’s ancestral priest Vinod Jha at Deoghar’s ‘baba’ temple, even as Mukherjee inked the President log book. Panda Association general secretary Durlabh Mishra gifted a shawl to the President. Mukherjee is the second President, after Dr Rajendra Prasad, who visited the temple in 1956.
The President also met some differently-abed children at the temple complex and flew back to Ranchi by an Army helicopter after lunch at the Circuit House.