Odisha For Early Implementation Of Bedabahal UMPP

BHUBANESWAR: Informing that the progress of the proposed Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) is going at a snail’s pace, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct concerned authorities for early initiation of the bidding process and implementation of the proposed project at Bedabahal in Sundargarh district.

“The UMPP was supposed to be taken up in a fast track mode for which Odisha as the host state has already contributed nearly Rs 350 crore as sought by the project proponents. However, the progress for the development of UMPP is rather slow even when all the requisite support is being provided by the state government,” said the chief minister in a letter to the prime minister.

“I am informed that the preparation and finalisation of Standard Bidding Document (SBD) are taking a lot of time. Further, as the host state we have already submitted our views and concerns relating to the Standard Bidding Document, which, I hope, have been duly addressed,” said the chief minister.

The has initiated the process of setting up the UMPP at Bedabahal in Sundargarh, which is proposed to generate 4,000 Mw of power.

The UMPP is structured to be developed through two SPVs namely – Odisha Integrated Power Ltd (OIPL) and Odisha Infra Power Ltd (OINPL), which are subsidiaries of Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFCL), New Delhi, said Patnaik.

In December 2014, the union power ministry decided to cancel the bidding process for Odisha and Tamil Nadu UMPPs. The bidding process was initiated in 2012.

The Bhedabahal UMPP needs 3246 acres land in all that includes 2733 acres private land, 444 acres government land and the rest 69 acres revenue forest land. The total cost of procuring land has been worked out at Rs 718 crore.