Mega NTPC projects hang fire as Orissa holds-up clearances
behalf of BHEL, seeking physical possession of land and forest clearances for the project. Prior to this, on April 7, 2012, a meeting between Patnaik and Shinde was held, where the issue of Darlipali came up.
Sources in the Union Power Ministry said the delays faced by the project could be the fallout of a “private sector push” that the state administration was focused on, especially in the power sector.
Efforts made by the Indian Express to contact the Orissa government to get their view on the issue proved futile.
According to Orissa government officials, however, the issues (relating to clearances for Darlipali) were “procedural” in nature and that the state was “making efforts” to expedite them. The delays are despite the fact that 50 per cent of the power to be generated from NTPC projects such as Darlipali would go to Orissa, the home state.
NTPC currently has two projects in Orissa, Talcher Thermal station (460 MW) and Talcher Kaniha station (3000 MW). Situated at the Sundargarh district, the Darlipali project is to get coal from Dulanga Mine and water from the Hirakud Reservoir.
As a corporate social responsibility initiative, NTPC also plans to set up a 400-bed hospital in Sundergarh as soon as the Darlipali and Dulanga projects attain financial closure, a commitment reiterated by Scindia in his January 3 missive to Patnaik.
