The Hindu Business Line : ADAG to present power project proposal to Orissa

The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) will soon place before the Orissa Government its proposal to set up a 12,000 MW thermal power plant in Jharsuguda District at an estimated aggregate investment of Rs 55,000 crore. While a preliminary project report in this regard has already been submitted to the State Government some time ago, the proposal will be taken up by the Chairman of ADAG, Mr Anil Ambani, when he meets the Orissa Chief Minister, Mr Navin Patnaik, on July 21.

Informed sources in ADAG told Business Line that the proposed project would be set up under the banner of Reliance Energy Generation Ltd at Hirma in Jharsuguda District, which is very close to coal reserves in the area. Phase I of the project implementation would entail the setting up of 4,000 MW of capacity even as an balance power capacity would be added in the next 15 years.

Health Infrastructure

Sources said a memorandum of understanding with the State Government would be signed at a later date after the techno-economic feasibility and detailed project reports are ready. During his meeting with the Orissa Chief Minister and other officials of the State Government, Mr Ambani is also set to propose the setting up of a "world-class health infrastructure" spread over 100 acres of land in or around the State capital of Bhubaneswar. The proposed healthcare infrastructure would comprise a modern hospital, a research centre and a medical education institute.

Education Institute

Mr Ambani is also expected to announce the setting up of an IT education institute in the State on the lines of the one that the group runs at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. A joint communiqué by ADAG and the State Government mentioning the above mentioned project proposals would be issued after Mr Ambani's meeting with the Orissa Chief Minister and officials of the State Government.

Asked about the distribution-centric dispute between Reliance Energy and the State Government, the sources said the matter was sub judice and the parties to the dispute were bound to abide by the arbitration award.