Bhubaneswar: With an aim to provide quality and uninterrupted electricity to the people, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday dedicated eight Extra High Voltage Grid Substations in 8 districts of the State.
The grid substations are situated in Meramundali in Angul, Kantabada in Khordha, Boriguma in Koraput, Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda, Kumarmunda in Sundargarh, Bamra in Sambalpur, Bhatli in Bargarh and Bhadrak.
The State Government has spent Rs 650 crore for these grid substations and this will benefit 2 lakh 20 thousand consumers of the State.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that through this the people can get quality and uninterrupted electricity. This is a big success in achieving the goal of electricity for all, the CM said.
The Chief Minister said, “Our state has 16,300 circuit kilometers long electricity overhead network and 193 Extra High Voltage grid substations have also been constructed. 99 percent of the people in the urban areas and 97 percent of the rural areas of the State are now getting electricity”.
Referring to the Niti Aayog report, the Chief Minister said that between 2015-16 and 2019-20, more than 60 lakh people in the State have risen from poverty. The quality electricity has a big role to play in this, he said.
The Chief Minister also said that electricity is the major basis of modern economy. Expressing that electricity is very important for improving the standard of living of the people, the Chief Minister said that providing continuous electricity to the people is one of the main goals of the government and efforts are being made for this.
On this occasion, Odisha Power Generation Corporation and OPTCL have given Rs 103.37 crore and Rs 42 crore respectably as interim profit of the State Government in the presence of the Chief Minister.
Besides, OPGC has contributed Rs 2 crore and OPTCL Rs 3 crore
to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.