In a major boost to the capital’s power infrastructure, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday inaugurated three state-of-the-art GIS grid substations and eight critical transmission lines developed by OPTCL at Balianta.
The projects, completed at a cost of approximately Rs 600 crore, are expected to provide world-class, uninterrupted and high-quality electricity to over 22 lakh consumers in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and surrounding areas.
The new substations at Balianta (220/132/33 kV GIS), Satyanagar (132/33 kV GIS) and SCB Medical College, Cuttack (132/33 kV GIS) will significantly strengthen power supply reliability. The substations, along with the associated transmission lines, will create a robust 132 kV and 220 kV power ring around Bhubaneswar and establish multiple feeder connectivity between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, eliminating the risk of single-point failures.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Majhi said the projects had been approved years ago but remained stalled due to court cases and other hurdles. “After assuming office, the new government gave top priority to these projects. All obstacles were cleared, and work began exactly one year ago. In just 12 months, OPTCL has successfully completed four major grid substation projects,” he said. Quoting his now-famous line, the CM added, “Where there is strong will, the impossible becomes possible.”
He further announced that Bhubaneswar’s power demand is projected to double from the current 1,000 MW to 2,000 MW by 2030, and the government is fully committed to ensuring uninterrupted, high-quality and reliable power supply to support industrial, commercial, IT and urban growth.
In the same address, the Chief Minister unveiled an ambitious river rejuvenation package for water bodies around Bhubaneswar:
- Rs 300 crore for Prachi River rejuvenation
- Rs 75 crore for Phase-II of Dhanua River rejuvenation
- Rs 170 crore for Daya River under the Sanjeevani Yojana
- Rs 400 crore for Daya West Canal rejuvenation and upgradation
He assured that work on all these projects would begin very soon and be completed within the stipulated timelines.
Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said the government has fulfilled its promise to the people. “These new power sources will end low-voltage issues in Bhubaneswar and Balianta areas permanently. We urge local residents to extend full cooperation so that such development works continue smoothly across the state,” he added.
The event was attended by Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, Jayadev MLA Nabakishore Mallick, OPTCL CMD Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma and Khordha District Collector Amrit Rituraj, among others.
This is the first time Odisha has constructed fully digital grid substations. OPTCL has also become the only power transmission utility in India to remotely operate 70 grid substations, setting a national benchmark in efficiency and modern technology.
