Orissa to upgrade power infrastructure

BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a capital expenditure programme of Rs.2,400 crore (around $530 million) Monday to upgrade the energy infrastructure in the state over the next five years.

The aggregate technical and commercial loss in Orissa stands at 39 percent, which appears to be very high, Patnaik said here.

With this loss level, the distribution sector cannot be viable enough to provide quality and reliable power,” he added.

Patnaik said the project will cut down on power losses during distribution, and provide cheap and reliable electricity to consumers.

The state government and power distribution companies will invest Rs.1,200 crore each under the programme.