Bhubaneswar: In order to improve the voltage profile with minimization of power interruption and to extend quality power to remote areas, the State Government has decided to strengthen 10 power supply projects with a cost of Rs 464.35 crore.
The State Cabinet has recently approved for equity support for 10 on-going system strengthening projects at 132 KV and 220 KV levels in the districts of Jajpur, Ganjam, Bhadrak, Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Kalahandi, sources said.
The OPTCL has come up with a proposal for providing equity support to the Government for eight Grid sub-stations with associated lines and two transmission lines with a total estimated cost of Rs 464.35 crore.
This includes 30 percent equity support from the State Government amounting to Rs 140 crore and the balance to be met by OPTCL through loan from banks or financial institutions amounting to Rs 324.35 crore.
The projects are expected to be completed by March 31, 2023, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the State Government has also decided to provide incentive to the MSME units working for refilling and repackaging of medical oxygen under the MSME Development Policy, 2016.
The State Government notified Odisha MSME Development Policy 2016 in November, 2016. The fiscal incentives prescribed in the policy are for manufacturing MSMEs and beyond and above the provisions of incentives in IPR, 2015.
Activity of refilling and repackaging of Medical Oxygen comes under service category enterprise and was not eligible for fiscal incentives under the policy, officials said.
In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, the requirement of medical oxygen by Covid patients increased manifold and the State has supplied medical oxygen to different States like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab and Tamil Nadu etc.
Therefore, the Government felt that it is necessary to incentivize the activity of refilling and repackaging of medical oxygen in the MSME sector for which a necessary amendment in Odisha MSME Development Policy-2016 has been made, they said.
This amendment will promote investment in refilling/ repackaging of medical oxygen in MSME Sector with generation of employment opportunities in the State.
