NTPC gets possession of 1,205 acres for Darlipalli project

The maharatna firm needed 1,652 acres for the power station, the cost of which has been estimated at Rs 12,850.07 cr

NTPC Ltd, the country’s largest power producer, has moved a step ahead in its bid to take possession of private land for its 1,600 Mw super thermal power plant proposed at Darlipalli in Odisha’s Sundergarh district.

Of 1,274.9 acres private land needed for the main section of project, 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 or processing. The maharatna firm needed 1,652 acres for this power station, the cost of which has been estimated at Rs 12,850.07 crore.

Notification under Section 4 (1) of Land Acquisition Act has been issued for 32.36 acres of private land required for building 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 block with a capacity to produce seven million tonnes coal per annum (mtpa) under command area of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) and Pakri Barwadih block in Bihar’s Hazaribagh district with 12.5 mtpa capacity.

The Dulanga coal mine development needs 1,399.48 acres of land. This includes 464.15 acres of private land and 263.31 acres of government land with the rest 672.02 acres being categorised as forest land. Land is to be acquired under Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition & Development) Act, 1957 and notification under Section 11 (1) has already been issued.

Regarding payment of compensation against private land to be acquired for the coal mine project, chief secretary B K Patnaik has asked the revenue divisional commissioner (northern division) to implement the same compensation package as that of Manoharpur coal block of Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC).

Odisha will get 50 per cent power from the Darlipalli super thermal plant. NTPC has also committed to establish a medical college near Sundergarh.