The Hindu Business Line : R-ADAG to invest Rs 61,500 cr in Orissa

The Orissa Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik, and the Chairman, Reliance ADAG, Mr Anil Ambani, at a press conference in Bhubaneswar on Friday. - Ashoke Chakrabarty

Bhubaneswar , July 21

The Reliance ADA Group on Friday announced its plans to invest over Rs 61,500 crore in Orissa to set up a 12,000 MW mega thermal power plant, a health city and an institute of higher learning in information technology.

The announcement was made by the Chairman of the Group, Mr Anil Ambani, after he held detailed discussions with the Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik, at the State Secretariat here.

Mr Patnaik and several of his Ministers were present at the media briefing that was followed by signing of joint communiqués between the Group and the State Government for the three projects. The communiqués will be converted into formal memoranda of understanding (MoUs) shortly, Mr Patnaik said.

The proposed power plant will be set up at Hirma in Jharsuguda district with an investment of more than Rs 50,000 crore. Another amount of Rs 10,000 crore will be spent on transmission and evacuation.

To be built in phases by Reliance Energy Generation Ltd (REGL), the proposed mega power plant will be the largest single-location thermal power plant in the world, Mr Ambani said.

The work on the first phase of the project to produce 4,000 MW of power will start within a year. The construction of the first phase will be completed within five years with an investment of Rs 18,000 crore. The MoU for the mega power plant will be signed on the basis of a detailed techno-feasibility report to be submitted by REGL.

Mr Ambani said the information technology institute, to be set up at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore, would run on no-profit basis. It would be named after his father, the Late Dhirubhai Ambani. The State Government has agreed to provide necessary support to build infrastructure for the project.

The proposed health city will be set up in Bhubaneswar by Reliance Health Ltd, another subsidiary of the Reliance ADA Group. It will have world-class health institutions such as hospitals, research centres and medical education facilities.

The Chief Minister announced that a Task Force comprising officials of the State Government and the Reliance ADA Group would be constituted soon to take forward the proposed ventures.

Mr Patnaik and Mr Ambani also discussed different issues relating to the three electricity distribution companies managed by Reliance Energy. The issues include payment of dues to the Grid Corporation of Orissa (Gridco), renewal of shareholders' agreement and financial and managerial support to the distribution companies.

Mr Ambani is the third prominent industrialist to visit Orissa this month to announce new ventures. The Arcelor-Mittal chief, Mr Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, visited the State on July 7 and the Chairman of Vedanta Resources Plc, Mr Anil Agarwal, came on July 19.