In Uttar Pradesh, Union Minister for Coal, Mr. Sriprakash Jaisawal today laid foundation stone for 1980 Mega Watt power plant at Ghatampur in Kanpur district. This power plant will be constructed under a joint venture of Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited.

Addressing the function on the occasion, Mr. Jaiswal emphasized better infrastructure development for industrialization and to address the issue of unemployment. He said, this project will be completed by 2016 and it will improve the power situation in the state. 

He said it will be the biggest power plant in the state. He assured that farmers will be given adequate compensation for their land acquired for the plant. He also assured that local people would get priority in employment in the plant. 

Responding about availability of coal for nine power projects in the state, he said that coal is not sufficiently available in country but plants from Uttar Pradesh will be given priority. He urged the state government for seeking Coal Block in place of Coal Linkage.

The Chief Minister of the state, Akhilesh Yadav who presided the foundation laying ceremony said that power generation is one of the priorities of the state government. He urged the officials of the concerned departments for completing one of the three units of the plant by 2014.

AIR correspondent reports that about 11088 crore rupees will be spent on the construction of the plant spread over 851 hectare land. The project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure two months earlier. Three units of 660 Mega Watt capacities will be established under the project.

The Centre has accorded approval for Advance Action Proposal to take up the pre-project sanction activities. Power Purchase Agreement has already been signed with the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation.

One of Navratna public sector Neyveli Lignite Corporation is based at Tamilnadu and it has recently set up a 250 MW capacity power plant in Bikaner district in Rajasthan. NLC also has its own three pit head Thermal Power Station with 2490 MW capacity at Neyveli in Tamil Nadu.