Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to the power infrastructure of the State Capital and surrounding areas, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Thursday inaugurated three new grid substations and eight transmission lines at Balianta.
The three new grid substations — Balianta, Satyanagar, and SCB Medical College in Cuttack — were completed in a year at a cost of Rs 600 crore.
According to a CMO release, these projects had received approval long ago but could not progress due to various hurdles, including court cases. However, the state government’s determination and focused efforts ensured their completion within a year. “Where there is strong willpower, the impossible becomes possible,” the CM said while speaking at the inauguration.
He added that four power projects, including the one at Nayapalli which became operational last year, have been completed by OPTCL in the past year.
Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister K V Singh Deo said: “These new grid substations will act as fresh sources of power for Bhubaneswar and Balianata. People will no longer face low-voltage issues.”
These projects will place Bhubaneswar within a robust 132 kV and 220 kV power ring, significantly improving stability and reliability of electricity supply. Around 22 lakh consumers in the capital and adjacent areas are expected to benefit.
The Chief Minister noted that Bhubaneswar’s power demand is currently around 1,000 MW and is projected to double to 2,000 MW by 2030. He emphasised that the state government is committed to strengthening and modernising the power infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted, high-quality, and reliable electricity supply to the capital, which will accelerate industrial, commercial, IT, and urban development.
The Chief Minister mentioned that Odisha’s power system is being restructured in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India vision. The state has set up its first digital grid substations, and plans are underway to develop a 765 kV transmission system for the capital. Multiple feeder lines will further connect grid substations in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar to ensure greater stability.
He also directed Tata Power to provide three additional feeders to supply power to areas including Vingarpur, Uttampur, Gangeshwar, Pandara, Jagannath Nagar, Mangaraj, Palasuni, and surrounding regions.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also announced significant allocations for the restoration of rivers in and around Bhubaneswar. These include Rs 300 crore for rejuvenation of Prachi river, Rs 75 crore for second phase of Dhanua river restoration, Rs 170 crore for Daya river under Sanjeevani Yojana and Rs 400 crore for restoration and improvement of Daya West Canal.
He assured that work on all these projects would begin very soon and be completed within the stipulated time frame.
Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, Jayadev MLA Nabakishore Mallick, OPTCL CMD Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma, and Khurda Collector Amrit Ruturaj, among others, were present.