Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the 24-MW Baitarani Small Hydro Power Project at Singhanali in the tribal-dominated district of Keonjhar. The Chief Minister’s office took to Twitter to provide details about the inaugural ceremony. “Further strengthening Odisha’s efforts to achieve sustainable development, CM Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated a 24 MW small hydropower project on the Baitarani river at Singhanali in Anandpur. The project will produce 100 million units of clean electricity every year,” the tweet read.
Patnaik, while inaugurating the project through video conferencing, mentioned that the hydropower project is a milestone in the green and renewable energy sector. “Small green energy projects will help Odisha tackle the environment changes well,” he stated.
Baitarani Power Project Private Limited, the Hyderabad-based company, commissioned the hydropower project, which will generate 100 million units of electricity and supply power to the state grid. The chief minister also expressed his delight over the establishment of the design over river Baitarani without displacing or rehabilitating anyone. He declared that the people of Anandapur in Keonjhar district would now receive continuous power supply generated from the new project.
The Office of the Chief Minister further expressed Patnaik’s future intentions in Keonjhar as they tweeted, “Highlighting development initiatives in Keonjhar district, CM mentioned that government is working on improving all the roads in the mineral-rich Keonjhar district. Simultaneously, the government is working on building a medical college and a hospital. The CM further assured that the District Mineral Fund (DMF) would be spent only for the welfare of the people.”
The virtual inaugural ceremony was attended by Premananda Nayak, Skill Development and Technical Education Minister as well as Energy Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra.