By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/TALCHER: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Union Power Minister RK Singh to direct NTPC Limited to address the concerns of related to Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) saying that the closure will have severe impact on thousands of families and the local economy.
Chief Minister Patnaik requested to take steps for early execution of TTPS Expansion- Stage III Project (1320MW) assuring all support from the State Govt. Chief Minister Patnaik also mentioned that the project has received necessary approval from the State Govt.
The closure of TTPS from March 31 will have severe direct and indirect impact on thousads of familes and the local econony. The Chief Minister Patnaik argued that, the TTPS Stage-111 expansion projet has alreday got the approval of the State Government in February 2020 , however , NTCP Ltd is yet to start the execution, Chief Minister added. There are about 230 permanent employees in the power plant and about 1400 contractual workers. All the contract employees will lose their job after closure of TTPS.
Sources said preparations have begun to shut down the 460 MW Talcher Thermal power station (TTPS) from April 1 even as fate of the proposed 1,320 MW new plant in its place seems uncertain.A unit of National Thermal power corporation (NTPC), the plant will close operations as its lifespan expires on March 31.However, NTPC is yet to take any steps on setting up the new plant, an expansion project of TTPS.The imminent closure of TTPS and lack of interest in the new power plant project have evoked large-scale resentment not only in Angul but also in Odisha.
The State draws 460 MW of power generated from TTPS at a very cheap rate. Besides, thousands of people who depend on TTPS for their livelihood will also be rendered jobless.
Sources said preparations to shut down TTPS, one of the oldest power plants in the country, has already started with officials issuing notices to the contractors concerned to stop work from the April . As per the Central Electrical Regulatory Commission (CERC) guideline, the lift term of TTPS expires on March 31, 2021. It completes 20 years from its modernisation work which was carried out in 2001.
In 2018, NTPC had floated tender for the expansion project at a cost of `8,900 crore. However, no progress could be made as the State government failed to give clearance to the proposal. In February 2020, Odisha government gave its nod to the new plant but NTPC has shown little interest in the expansion project. Recently, a team from NTPC corporate office had come to review the prospects of the new plant but nothing is known about its fate.
