NTPC's pvt land cost for Gajamara project assessed at Rs 153 cr

NTPC Ltd, the country's biggest power generator has to fork out Rs 152.54 crore for acquisition of 795.85 acres of private land needed for its 1,600 Mw super thermal power plant proposed at Gajamara in Dhenkanal district.

The land is to be acquired in four affected villages- Talabarkote (440.23 acres), Patra bhag (194.61 acres), Manipur (99.46 acres) and Siaria (61.55 acres).

Notification under section 4 (1) of Land Acquisition Act has already been issued for acquisition of private land for the Gajamara project. NTPC has urged the state government to expedite issue of 6 (1) notification. The Gajamara project needs 1,013 acres.

Besides Gajamara, NTPC had also proposed to set up 1,600 Mw coal-based plant at Darlipalli in Sundergarh district. Odisha will get 50 per cent power from the Darlipalli super thermal plant. This power plant needs 1,652 acres. NTPC hopes to commission this power plant by 2018.

Of 1,274.9 acres private land needed for the power project's main plant, the state government has issued possession certificate for 1,205.79 acres. Alienation proposals for 339.49 acres of government land are in different stages of processing.

Notification under section 4 (1) of Land Acquisition Act has been issued for 32.36 acres of privately owned property required for rehabilitation & resettlement colony. Moreover, administrative approval has been issued for acquisition of 55 acres private land for the Merry Go Round (MGR) system. The Darlipalli super thermal power project will draw water from the Hirakud reservoir in the Mahanadi river. NTPC has secured coal linkage for this project in the form of Dulanga coal block with mine capacity of seven million tonnes per annum (mtpa) under command area of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) and Pakri Barwadih block in Bihar's Hazaribagh district with 12.5 million tonne per annum (mtpa).

NTPC has committed to establish a medical college near Sundergarh, an activity linked to its Darlipalli project.