August 25, 2014
DVC`s power plant in Purulia begins operations
Damodar Valley Corporation's (DVC) Rs5000-crore phase I unit of Raghunathpur Thermal Power Plant in Purulia came onstream with full load at 8.02 PM on Sunday, state commerce and industriesminister Amit Mitra said.
“Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee's effortto set aside various hurdles has finally paid off. Buoyed by this success, DVCcan now embark on its 1,320MW (660MWx2) phase II project with ease. The Rs 10000-croresuper-critical phase II project is much bigger,” added Dr Mitra.
According to him, the development holdssignificance as this would provide an easy power gateway to the power-intensivecement and ferro-alloy industries at Raghunathpur and Barjora industrial parks.
An Anil Ambani firm and Emami both haveacquired 100 acres each for setting up cement plants in Raghunathpur IndustrialPark with an investment of Rs 600 crore and Rs 500 crore respectively. Justbefore her Singapore trip, the chief minister inaugurated OCL India's cementplant at Salboni.
The phase II project got stuck and powergeneration could not be commenced as DVC was not able progress with the 10 kmwater corridor pipeline for the plant owing to law and order problem. Work hadalso resumed for ash pond and water corridor which is needed for first andsecond phase of the project.
However, the state-run power generationfirm has already started its Raghunathpur phase II project with the civil workfor boiler of the first unit of 660MW, which will take not less than two yearsto complete. In November, DVC was reportedly planning to shift the project fromWest Bengal after officials were attacked by locals in protest.
