By SANTOSH MOHANTY
The uncertainty over the commissioning of a new power plant in place of the old Talcher Thermal Power Plant(TTPS), closed since March 2021, has unnerved over 1500 employees.
The National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC) authorities have been stressing since the closure of TTPS that a new mega power plant with two units of 660 MW each will come up soon. Yet, nobody is sure when work for the new plant will begin. The process for such work has not been initiated so far.
Nearly 15000 families were depending on the power plant for their livelihood. Their survival is at stake now. A number of contractual workers of the abandoned TTPS said with distress:' We contributed our bit to efficient functioning of the power plant over years. The plant is now closed. We have lost livelihood. The NTPC authorities have been saying a new mega plant will come up, but when?'
The employees of the decommissioned power plant alleged that they were not given gate passes nor salary since October 2021 and added that they have been kept in dark by the authorities. Who know what the future has in store for them, they shied.
A top source of NTPC when contacted said 'as the new power plant will have two big units involving huge investments, therefore things will naturally be delayed. But, the government has already made up its mind to set a new plant at Talcher shortly.'
Worthwhile to mention that TTPS was closed down for not adhering to environmental norms and other nine parameters that usually govern the functioning of thermal power plants all over the country.
