Work on GMR’s Chhattisgarh project to begin by September

September 8th, 2009 RAIPUR - The state-owned National Mineral Development Corp (NMDC), India's largest iron ore producer and exporter, will begin construction of a Rs.17,000-crore integrated steel project in Chhattisgarh by the year-end, according to Chief Minister Raman Singh. The plant, with an annual capacity of three million tonnes, will come up over 995 acres in the Nagarnar area in Bastar district, 300 km south of state capital Raipur.

July 29th, 2009 RAIPUR - Maoist violence in Bastar region has prevented the Chhattisgarh government from carrying out a count of tigers, the state assembly was informed Wednesday. Forest Minister Vikram Usendi told the assembly in a written reply that the count of tigers of the Indravati tiger project had not been undertaken for several years as the area is dominated by Maoists rebels.

July 23rd, 2009 RAIPUR - A 500 MW power plant in Chhattisgarh that stopped production July 14 due to coal shortage has resumed generation, a company official said Thursday. The NSPCL plant, set up by state-run National Thermal Power Corporation and the Steel Authority India Limited, is located at Bhilai in Durg district, some 30 km west of here.

July 23rd, 2009 RAIPUR - Power utility NTPC Ltd has agreed to provide 35 percent of the electricity produced at its upcoming 500 MW stage-III Korba project to Chhattisgarh, a government statement said Thursday. "NTPC (formerly National Thermal Power Corp) has agreed to provide 175 MW power to Chhattisgarh from its 500 MW stage-III Korba project that will begin generation by February 2010," the statement said.

July 16th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - After facing strong resistance over displacement of farmers who had given up their land, the beleaguered Tata Steel project in Kalinganagar in Orissa's Jajpur district is to start production in August, an official said Thursday. "I expect that work at the project would commence sometime in the month of August once the displacement problem is over," H.M.

June 23rd, 2009 RAIPUR - Decks have been cleared for the 4,000-MW ultra mega power project (UMPP) in Chhattisgarh as the central government has finally approved the project, ending months-long controversy. The government, which had earlier selected Chhattisgarh as one of the five states for setting up UMPPs, reportedly rejected the project last August as the state government stuck to its demand for 50 percent of power at "invariable cost" from the project.

May 26th, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - A 52 MW wind power plant that Suzlon Energy is executing for Gujarat State Petroleum Corp (GSPC) in Gujarat will be commissioned in September, a state government official said. "The work on the project site in the Kutch region has started.

March 9th, 2009 RAIPUR - Nearly a hundred farmers took out a rally here Monday to protest land acquisitions by GMR Energy at Raikheda village in Chhattisgarh for its Rs.55 billion power project. The company is purchasing land directly from nearly 250 farmers for a 1,200 MW coal-fired power plant.

February 12th, 2009 RAIPUR - The interim railway budget presented Friday by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad has let down expectations of Chhattisgarh despite the fact that the state generates high revenue for the railways, Chief minister Raman Singh said here. 'The interim rail budget is disappointing, it has let down expectations of millions of people of Chhattisgarh,' said Singh in his reaction to the interim budget.

February 7th, 2009 RAIPUR - A Rs.55 billion project has hit a roadblock in Chhattisgarh as about 150 farmers Sunday decided not to hand over their land to GMR Energy for its proposed 1,200 MW thermal power project. 'GMR Energy has tasked several agents or brokers in the village to persuade farmers to surrender their land.

February 5th, 2009 KOLKATA - Construction work at the Nayachar Island chemical hub project in West Bengal is likely to begin before the coming Lok Sabha polls this year, state Industry Minister Nirupam Sen said Friday. 'We've already sent a request to the central government seeking permission to start the project before the Lok Sabha elections.

January 31st, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, who holds the finance portfolio too, will present the state's annual budget Feb 9. Assembly speaker Dharamlal Kaushik told reporters Sunday that the budget session of the 90-member state assembly will begin Feb 2 and conclude Feb 20, and the annual budget to be presented Feb 9.

January 17th, 2009 RAIPUR - In an attempt to end the power crisis in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh will supply about 300 MW electricity to the southern state, an official said Sunday. 'We have formally approved the Karnataka government's request.

January 1st, 2009 RAIPUR - The second 500 MW stage-II unit of the state-owned National Thermal Power Corp's (NTPC) Sipat project in Chhattisgarh has begun commercial production, a company official said Friday. The approved capacity of Sipat Super Thermal Power Project, located some 140 km from here in Bilaspur district, is 2,980 MW.

December 31st, 2008 RAIPUR - The Chhattisgarh government Thursday announced that it has split the state electricity board into five entities - one holding company and four others to manage transmission, distribution, production and trading. The new companies are - Chhattisgarh State Power Transmission Co.