Despite hiccups in land acquisition, the progress of the 1005 MW power plant being put up by Monnet Ispat and Energy Limited near Angul is on schedule.

Mr Sandeep Jajodia MD and vice chairman of Monnet Power said that the first 500 MW unit of the proposed project, located at village Malibrhamani will begin commercial generation by March 2012 followed by the second unit four months later.

On the progress of the Orissa project, Mr Jajodia said that “Acquisition of land for the power plant is completed. Site office is already functional and land leveling and grading work is in progress. Formalities have been completed for executing construction of power line, boundary wall and other civil construction activities as per the schedule.”

He said that out of 502 acres of land required for the thermal power plant, about 471 acres have been acquired and the rest will be acquired within four months as there is a patch of 31 acres of forest land in the plant area for which the process to get permission for forest diversion has been initiated.

Balance land acquisition activities for the ash pond and overburden dump are likely to be completed by the end of 2009. The company has been allotted Mandakini coal block along with TATA Power and Jindal.

Mr Jajodia said that the shifting of about 146 families who are going to be displaced by the project will start once the resettlement colony is ready.

(Sourced from silobreaker.com)