Monnet power plant facing delays

Odisha Channel Bureau Angul, Aug 3: Lack of administrative support has put a spanner in early commissioning of the 1050 MW Monnet Power plant here though Odisha Government signed agreement with it for setting up the plant.Its transmission line and water pipeline cannot be completed by the continuous obstructions by some local people but the district administration hardly did anything to facilitate these two things.According to sources, the plant is among the 28 such independent power plants that signed memorandum of understanding with the State Government in 2006 and got the MOU renewed later.It has completed construction works by eighty per cent in the meanwhile and made its two boilers almost ready.But sources told that it has been stuck in mainly two key areas.Its 31 km long transmission line, from the plant to Phulpara near here, could be completed due to opposition by the residents of a village demanding total acquisition of the village though the line passes by the side of the village.All the conciliatory approach by company to the villagers did not bear any fruits so far.Secondly, the pipeline from Samal barrage is still to be completed due to same reasons even after the company acquired all the land required for it.Amid extortion and obstructions it could complete half of the 21 km long pipeline and remaining is still to be done.A company official, admitting these two main bottlenecks for the power plant commissioning, has urged the State and the district administration to come to its aid as there are obstructions on no genuine grounds.The official said the company has so far spent Rs.4600 crore, and trying hard to put the plant on steam as soon as possible if support from the administration is forthcoming.