Odisha seeks 33% free power from thermal plants

Bhubaneswar, Sep 8 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday requested the central government to consider providing 25-33 per cent of free power from thermal power generating stations to the coal bearing states.

The Chief Minister put forth the demand during a discussion with Union Power Secretary Ajay Bhalla at the state secretariat here.

They also discussed several issues related to the power sector and electrification in Odisha.

Patnaik said that coal bearing states like Odisha are facing negative fallouts of coal mining and thermal power stations.

"Therefore, the Centre should consider 25-33 per cent free power from coal fired thermal generating stations to the host states," he added.

He also asked for de-allocation of costly NTPC power from stations located outside Odisha.

Allocations from NTPC plants within the state and other thermal plants are adequate and there is no requirement of additional power from NTPC stations located outside Odisha, said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.

During the discussion, Patnaik sought to speed up the finalisation of Standard Bidding Document for the Ultra Mega Power project at Bhedabahal in Sundargarh district, which is pending for the central government's approval for more than three years.

He also raised certain issues including of power allocation and rural electrification in Odisha.

He laid stress on the need for inclusion of SECC (socio-economic caste census) households in partially electrified villages under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana to achieve 100 per cent household electrification.