Bengal CM lays foundation stone of 1,600 MW thermal power plant at Salboni
Salboni: West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
on Monday laid the foundation stone of a 1,600 MW ultra-supercritical thermal power plant at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district, claiming it as a major step in the state's push for industrial and infrastructure growth. The plant, to be built by
JSW Energy
at an investment of Rs 16,000 crore, will comprise two units of 800 MW each.
The first unit is expected to be commissioned in 42 months and the second in 48 months.
This is JSW Group's first venture into the energy sector in Eastern India with a greenfield project.
"This is a landmark project. I must congratulate the Jindal Group and all their officials," Banerjee said at the event, where she lit a digital lamp and unveiled the foundation plaque.
"A total of 1,600 MW will be generated - 800 each in two phases - and 23 districts will benefit from this initiative," she added.
The CM described the project as a "special type of eco-friendly initiative" and termed it "the need of the hour."
She said the project is expected to generate employment for nearly 15,000 people and praised the transparent process of competitive bidding through which the Jindal Group secured the contract.
Banerjee also announced that two more power units would be developed in the state, citing the increasing demand for electricity.
"Bengal needs more and more power. We are committed to meeting that demand," she said.
Highlighting the expanding power needs in the region, Banerjee noted that the number of electricity consumers in Paschim Medinipur has risen from 1.87 lakh to 2.30 lakh in recent years.
"We are continuously upgrading our infrastructure to keep pace with rising demand," she said.
The Chief Minister added that once the Deucha-Pachami coal block project is completed, Bengal will no longer face any power shortages.
Chairman of JSW Group, Sajjan Jindal, termed Salboni a "dream" for the conglomerate and expressed satisfaction over the state's progress.
"The state has seen huge development in the last 10 years. Everybody is happy with what is happening in West Bengal. The land belongs to the farmers and they should benefit from the industry coming up in this place," Jindal said.
He added that the Salboni power plant would feature the highest-rated technology with no pollution and would meet the growing power demands of a rapidly developing West Bengal.
Jindal also announced that an industrial park would come up near the plant site, the foundation of which was also laid during the event.
"Both the projects will generate employment for thousands of people," he said.
Cricketer Sourav Ganguly and Trinamool Congress MP Dipak Adhikari were also present at the event.
Reaffirming her government's commitment to industrial growth, Banerjee highlighted Bengal's investor-friendly ecosystem, robust infrastructure and continuous policy support.
"Our state offers a business-friendly environment, strong infrastructure and consistent support for investors," she added.
She pointed to the construction of six economic corridors along national highways as part of Bengal's ongoing development initiatives and said a newly-formed state-level Synergy Committee has already cleared projects worth Rs 1,000 crore to facilitate ease of doing business.
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