Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM dedicates Talcher Super Thermal Power Station to the Nation

"I am truly delighted to be here today in this great State of Orissa. On this auspicious occasion, I convey my best wishes to the people of Orissa. I am particularly delighted that my first visit to your State is associated with the dedication to the nation of the Talcher Super Thermal Power Station. The foundation stone for this project was laid by our beloved leader, Shri Rajiv Gandhi. Today, while dedicating this project to the nation, we pay tribute to Rajivji's memory, we salute his leadership and his vision which was at once modern and forward looking.

This power station is a symbol of development. It will herald a new era of development for Orissa. Rajiv Gandhi had great affection for the people of Orissa. He was deeply committed to your welfare and progress. This project is a fulfillment of his dream of a new Orissa. Standing here, one is reminded of the great traditions of trade and commerce of the brave people of Kalinga through the centuries. They traveled to many countries across the seas and spread Indian culture and influence all over south-east Asia. Kalinga desa was one of the most vibrant parts of India - economically and culturally. Today, we need to remind ourselves of that proud heritage and recapture the dynamism and enterprise that characterized that period of Orissa's glorious history. Orissa needs to develop rapidly if it is not to be left behind in the race for progress and prosperity. It has enormous potential. It is a storehouse of natural resources - mineral and forest. It has a long coastline. These need to be exploited for the benefit of the people of the state; for creating more jobs; for generating more incomes.

I sincerely hope there will be more such new projects coming up in your State in the near future. I promise you that the Central Government will do whatever is needed to take Orissa forward. With a capacity of 3,000 MW, this is the largest power station in the country today. It is a matter of pride for NTPC, for the workers in Talcher and for the state as a whole. I hope that very soon, we will have more such stations coming up across the country. We are working for the establishment of ultra mega-projects of 4000 MW capacity each. Preparatory work on these is going on at a fast pace. I hope some of the projects will come up in Orissa as well.

Electricity is the basic infrastructure for all forms of industrialization or mechanization. Our country continues to face a shortage of power in many regions. While we have been increasing investment, demand continues to outpace supply. We had the same worry 20 years ago. Since then many Governments have come and gone, both at the center and in States, and much investment has been made. Since then we have made many changes in policy and have tried to attract private investment. Yet, despite all our efforts, supply continues to lag behind demand. We cannot continue to tolerate this state of affairs? We need a paradigm shift in our energy policies and in our planning for the power sector. Our Government recognizes that we need urgent reform in the power sector and we need massive investment. I assure you that we are committed to both these objectives.

I urge all our political parties to take a long term view of our development prospects and the needs of our people and take bold and forward-looking decisions in the power sector. The Planning Commission has estimated that by the year 2030, electricity generation capacity would need to go up from our current level of 131,000 MW to more than 800,000 MW. This is a gigantic task. We have to widen and diversify our choices and strategies. We have to develop all sources of energy including oil, gas, coal, hydel, solar and biogas and nuclear. Even coal is not as abundant as is generally believed. I am told that in 25 years time, our coal requirement will cross 1.7 billion tonnes per annum! It may be as much in short supply as oil is now. Thus, we must use our energy resources optimally and efficiently. We need to make the sector efficient, competitive, commercially viable and attractive for investment and safe for environmental management.

I must compliment the National Thermal Power Corporation for showing a marked improvement in performance over the years. NTPC produces power at a very competitive rate. I am told that the synchronization of the 500 MW unit in the second phase of the Talcher Project was done in a record period of 38 months. I compliment the staff and workers of NTPC for their valiant efforts. You are all truly the builders of the nation as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru believed. I believe this station has state-of-the-art technology for high efficiency and low emission levels. We must reach out for new clean coal technologies, since coal-based power generation will remain a priority area for us.

I am aware that your growth has been constrained by lack of availability of good quality coal. We have taken several steps to increase both production and productivity in the coal sector. We have also speeded up the procedure for allotment of coal blocks for captive consumption of power plants. I am expecting a massive surge in investment in captive coal mines so that power producers do not suffer due to shortage of coal.

Orissa has several locational advantages in thermal power that it must make better use of. You have access to both domestic and imported coal. Both these can fuel the engine of development in Orissa. You have the potential to become the 'power-house' of India. I hope you will make the best use of your natural and manmade advantages and push forward with determination.

At the same time, Orissa continues to be one of the most backward states in the country on many parameters. It needs massive investment in human development, in infrastructure, in social development and in agriculture and rural development. More than 4,500 villages are still not connected by a road. Over 9,000 habitations are not yet electrified. Almost 5,000 villages do not have a single telephone. Large parts of the state are not irrigated. This is the development deficit that we need to overcome. Through the Bharat Nirman programme, we will support the state government of Orissa to provide road and telephone connectivity in each village; to ensure complete electrification of the state; to add another 3 lakh hectares under irrigation. This will cost a lot of money. I assure the people of Orissa that funds will not be a constraint for their development.

We will invest massively for Orissa's development. 19 districts of the state are covered under the Rural Employment Guarantee Act. More will be covered in the years to come. This is a vital source of income for the rural poor and I am told that 20 lakh families have registered under this programme. Over 50 lakh children are being given a meal at school under the National Mid Day Meal programme. Under the National Rural Health Mission, over 30,000 ASHAs are being taken for health work. And I repeat, we will ensure that no stone is left unturned for the development of the state; for ridding the state of chronic poverty, ignorance and disease. It is my earnest request to the state government that they utilize the funds provided for the maximum benefit of the people of Orissa.

On the industrial front too, the state is on our priority list. The Indian Oil Corporation has begun work on a 15 million tonne oil refinery at Paradip. We are working hard to see that it is commissioned by 2010. Associated with this, we are working to develop a petrochemical complex around the refinery. The total expected investment here will be almost Rs 29,000 crore in the next few years. Paradip and its neighbourhood has the potential of becoming a major industrial zone of the country. Its completion is our commitment to the people of Orissa.

I am also aware that there is considerable concern among some people in your state whose lives and livelihoods have been threatened by new projects. I urge the State government and the concerned investors to show greater commitment to the welfare of all sections of society, especially those displaced by development works. I am sure as new investment comes to Orissa, new opportunities will increase. However, in the transition no section of society should feel threatened by development.

We must take adequate precaution to compensate those who may be negatively impacted by changes in the transition period. As I had announced during my Independence Day speech, our Government will come forward with a comprehensive National Rehabilitation Policy so that displacement does not lead to impoverishment and those who lose their land benefit from subsequent economic development.

With these words, I compliment all those associated with this project for their good work. I hope NTPC will continue to remain at the forefront of our country's economic development. I have been informed by Shindeji, NTPC has decided to give an incentive of Rs.51 lakh for the workers in this unit as bonus. I hope the Talcher project will be yet another harbinger of progress for Orissa. I hereby dedicate the Talcher Super Thermal Power Plant to the people of Orissa. I wish the people of Orissa a great future of progress and prosperity."