PM to inaugurate fertiliser plant, airport in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to launch a slew of projects including a fertiliser plant at Talcher and inauguration of Jharsuguda Airport in Odisha on Saturday, officials said Thursday.

During his one-day visit to the state, Modi will also dedicate to the nation mines of the NTPC and the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) and railway tracks for transportation of coal.

Garjanbahal open cast mine of the MCL, to be inaugurated by Modi, has coal block reserve of 230 million tonnes with annual production capacity of 13 million tonnes. It will generate direct employment opportunity for 894 people and indirect job opportunities for 5000, officials said.

The Prime Minister will also launch 53.1 km long Jharsuguda-Serdega railway line constructed by the MCL. This line can also be used for passenger traffic.

Modi will dedicate to the nation Dulanga Coal Mining Project of the NTPC in Sundargarh district. This is the second mine of the NTPC to be operational and its first in Odisha.

Coal produced from this mine shall be used in the under construction 1600MW Darlipali Super Thermal Power Plant of the NTPC in Sundargarh district, the officials said.

At Talcher in Angul district, Modi will launch the commencement of work for the country's first coal gasification based fertilizer plant.

The fertilizer plant is being developed by Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL), a joint venture company of GAIL, Coal India Limited, Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited and Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited, they said.

The plant, targeted to be commissioned by 2022, will ensure easy availability of urea in Odisha as there is no urea plant in the state.

On the new airport in Jharsuguda, officials said, it has been developed for all weather operations including night operations for A-320 type aircraft.

Jharsuguda will be the second airport of Odisha to become operational and provide connectivity to Bhubaneswar, Raipur and Ranchi under the government's UDAN scheme.