Bhubaneswar, May 20:The Odisha Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, has approved 11 proposals from eight departments, including key changes to the Odisha Thermal Power Policy, 2008. Chief Secretary Anu Garg provided details after the meeting.

Speaking to the press, she said, “The Odisha Thermal Power Policy, 2008, was introduced to promote thermal power generation in the state and attract investment. To increase the policy’s effectiveness, several amendments have been made to make it more investor-friendly and ensure smooth implementation.”

A notable modification involves Clause 3 of the policy. The heading, previously titled‘Proposed MoU with future IPPs’, has been simplified to‘MoU with future IPPs’by removing the word “Proposed.”

Sub-Clause (iii) under Clause 3 has also been revised. The provision allowing a nominated agency authorized by the State Government to purchase power from a thermal plant has been reduced to5% of power at variable cost, down from the earlier 14%/12%. Additionally, all Independent Power Producers (IPPs) are now required to strictly comply with environmental norms and directives from government and statutory authorities, taking necessary measures to minimize environmental impact.

These amendments aim to attract investment in thermal power while ensuring environmental sustainability and regulatory compliance.