PM Modi To Visit Odisha, Will Inaugurate Projects Worth Rs 68,400 Crore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be joined by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Governor Raghubar Das and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Odisha's Sambalpur.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Odisha on Saturday afternoon, where he will unveil projects worth Rs 68,400 crore dedicated to the state, this includes a new campus of IIM-Sambalpur. The prime minister will arrive at Jharsuguda airport around 1 pm, after which he will head to the IIM campus, he will be Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Governor Raghubar Das and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will join him. 

Aside from the new campus which is worth Rs 400 crore, he will unveil infrastructure projects worth Rs 68,000 crore in sectors such as power, roads and railways. He will lay the foundation stone for NLC India Limited's (NLCIL) 2,400 MegaWatt Supercritical Thermal power plant as well in Sambalpur. This is to further the prime minister’s vision to encourage the establishment of Thermal Power Plants at pit-headed locations to minimise the cost of coal transportation.

According to ANI, the Ministry of Coal strategically planned for thermal power plants to be established coal Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs).

A press statement from the Ministry of Coal read, "Government has approved setting up of 3 x 800 MW Ultra Super Critical Thermal Power Plant at Talabira through NLCIL. NLCIL has been allotted Talabira coal mines with total reserves of 553 million tonne (MT) with 23 MT Peak rated capacity. On getting operational, this pit-head plant will generate electricity at a cost of Rs. 3.65 per unit (Rs. 2.40 fixed cost and Rs.1.25 variable cost) (approx.) which is amongst the cheapest power produced by TPPs in the country."

Following these events, PM Modi will address a public meeting at Remed Ground around 3 pm. This is the first such big public gathering after the presentation of the interim budget and before the general elections. PM Modi will inaugurate 412 km-long 'Dhamra-Angul Pipeline Section' of 'Jagdishpur-Haldia & Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline Project (JHBDPL)'.

Built at a cost of more than Rs 2,450 crore under the 'Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga', the project will connect Odisha with the National Gas Grid.

He will also lay the foundation stone of 'Nagpur Jharsuguda Natural Gas Pipeline Section' (692 km) of Mumbai-Nagpur-Jharsuguda Pipeline.

The project, which will be developed at a cost of more than Rs 2,660 crore, will improve the natural gas availability to states like Odisha, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, said official sources.

PM Modi will also inaugurate Ib Valley Washery, built at a cost of over Rs 550 crore in Jharsuguda district and a 50 km long second track of Jharsuguda-Barpali-Sardega rail line Phase-1 built by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, with an investment of Rs 878 crore. Similarly, three road sector projects of National Highways, developed at a cumulative cost of about Rs 2,110 crore will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister.

After his making an address to the public he will leave for Guwahati, strict security measures have been taken in both states for the prime minister’s visit.