Odisha cabinet approves ₹4,708-crore pumped storage project in Kalahandi
The 600 MW Upper Indravati project is expected to be commissioned by the 2030-31 financial year.
The Odisha cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved 13 proposals on Monday, including a ₹4,708.64 crore 600 MW pumped storage project at Ranibahal in Kalahandi district, according to reports by Hindustan Times, Pragativadi and The Times of India.
The Upper Indravati Pumped Storage Project will be executed through the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation Limited (OHPC). Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL) has been selected as the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor for the project.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the state will spend a total of ₹4,708.64 crore, which includes ₹3,371.88 crore for construction. The project will follow an 80:20 debt-to-equity ratio, with OHPC providing 20 per cent equity from internal reserves and the state government providing the remaining 80 per cent as a soft loan linked to the RBI repo rate.
The 600 MW facility is expected to generate approximately 1,040 million units of annual peak electricity. It will function as a grid-scale energy storage system by absorbing surplus electricity during off-peak hours and generating power during peak demand periods.
Other approved measures include the Odisha Shikshanet project, worth ₹393.62 crore, to provide free campus Wi-Fi with a 1 GB daily limit to around six lakh students across 601 colleges. The cabinet also cleared a proposal to amend the Odisha Civil Services Rules, 1991, allowing candidates unlimited attempts for the state civil services examination until the prescribed upper age limit.