PM To Launch Slew Of Projects During Odisha Visit

Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate various developmental projects as part of the clarion call for the development of Eastern India including inauguration of the Jharsuguda Airport and Udan from Jharsuguda Airport on September 22.

He will dedicate the Garjanbahal open cast mines project of Mahanadi Coal Fields Limited (MCL) and Jharsuguda-Sardega railway line of MCL in Sundargarh district to the people of Odisha and launch the commencement of coal production and transportation from the Dulanga coal mine of NTPC in Sundargarh district of Odisha.

The Prime Minister will also launch the commencement of work for India’s first coal gasification based fertiliser plant with pet coke blending, marking a significant milestone towards achieving the Government of India’s vision of making the country self-sufficient in the production of fertilisers through the revival of closed plants.

The fertilizer plant is being developed by Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL), a joint venture company of GAIL (India) Limited (GAIL), Coal India Limited (CIL), Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (RCFL) and Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL), at an estimated investment of Rs 13,000 crore.

The project will have an output of 1.27 Million Metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) of ‘Neem’ coated prilled urea using coal and pet coke as feedstock. The plant is targeted to be commissioned by 2022. The Talcher plant will ensure easy availability of urea in Odisha as currently there is no urea plant in the state.

MCL is a mini Ratna Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Coal.  It is a subsidiary company of Maharatna Central Public Sector Undertaking, Coal India Limited.

In a press meet organised jointly by MCL, NTPC Ltd, Talcher Fertilizers Ltd, and Airports Authority of India (AAI) in Bhubaneswar on Thursday announced about the distinct projects to be launched by the Prime Minister in Angul, Jharsuguda and Sundargarh districts on September 22.

Director, Operations (Technical) J. P. Singh and Director, Finance, MCL K. R. Vasudevan, Regional Executive Director (Eastern Region-II) of NTPC, M. P. Sinha, Chairman and Managing Director U. V. Dhatrak were present, among others.

Garjanbahal open cast project of MCL, located in Sundargarh district having coal block reserve of 230 million tonnes with an annual production capacity of 13 million tonnes will start operating at Odisha by the Prime Minister. It will generate direct employment opportunity for 894 aspirants and indirect employment opportunities for 5,000 unemployed approximately.

Prime Minister Modi will also inaugurate the 53.1 km long Jharsuguda-Serdega rail line constructed with an estimated investment of Rs 1,124 crores by MCL. After stabilisation of this line, it will be very easy to connect up to Pelma (near Anuppur Railway Station). This line can be used for passenger traffic by the Indian Railways.

The airport in Jharsuguda district, which will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister has been developed by the Airports Authority of India, in collaboration with Government of Odisha at an estimated cost of Rs 210 crore with Rs 75 crore contribution from the state government spread across over 1027.5 acres of land, the area of terminal building of the airport is 4,000 sqm.

The airport has been developed for all weather operations including night operations for A-320 type of aircraft. The terminal building, equipped with state-of-the-art passenger facilities is a RCC composite structure equipped with state-of-the-art passenger facilities. The interiors of the building depict local handicrafts, artwork and tourist destinations of the state highlighting rich ethos and culture of the region. The city side is being aesthetically landscaped with lush green areas connecting passengers to the nature.

Jharsuguda will be the second airport of Odisha to become operational and provide necessary connectivity to Bhubaneswar, Raipur and Ranchi under UDAN.