Bhubaneswar: The State Industries and Energy Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra, Sunday, said that the state government is committed towards providing power to all electricity consumers from the rural parts of the country.
The minister said that the government is working hard to provide power to the electricity consumers from the state and the hurdles coming in the way are being sorted out. The minister also said that power from external sources is also being procured even at Rs 16 crore each day.
“Whatever steps are needed for uninterrupted power supply we are taking it. We are purchasing electricity from external sources. Each day we are purchasing power worth Rs 16 crore. We are committed to provide each and every consumer in rural areas with electricity,” he said.
The minister also said that the ongoing issues with the NTPC plant at Talcher are being worked out and progress has already begun on the front. The minister claimed that the issues would soon be resolved due to adequate coal linkage.
“The NTPC plant which was suffering due to coal linkage has now been aided with the linkage. Slowly, adequate coal has started reaching the plant. I believe shortly the issue will be taken care of,” said Mishra. The issue had been haunting the department as due to lack of coal linkage some of the units of the NTPC were shut down, triggering agitations.
Nevertheless, the minister, Sunday, also urged the Centre to come forward to assist the small traders who had lost their livelihood, shelter and business due to the impact of Cyclone Fani. He urged the Union Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister Pratap Sarangi to help such communities in the affected districts with central funds.
He said, “Many small industries incurred losses due to Cyclone Fani recently. We have requested the Union MSME Minister to consider giving central allocation to the state to help them. We have also asked the minister to assist the industrially backward regions of Odisha to give an impetus to its growth.”
