Odisha cabinet approves proposal for ₹4,708-crore pumped storage project

Bhubaneswar, The Odisha cabinet on Monday approved 13 proposals, including a ₹4,708-crore 600 MW pumped storage project, free Wi-Fi for college students and unlimited attempts for candidates appearing in the state civil services examination till the prescribed upper age limit.

The proposals were approved at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi here.

"The cabinet has approved… the 600 MW Upper Indravati Pumped Storage Project at Ranibahal, Kalahandi district. The state will spend a total of ₹4,708.64 crore, including ₹3,371.88 crore for construction of the project," Chief Secretary Anu Garg told reporters.

Describing it as the first project of its kind in the state, Garg said it is targeted to be commissioned by the 2030-31 financial year. Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd has been selected as the project developer.

The 600 MW facility will generate approximately 1,040 million units of annual peak electricity, officials said.

The project will serve as a grid-scale energy storage system, absorbing surplus electricity during off-peak hours and generating power during periods of peak demand, the chief secretary said.

The cabinet also approved three proposals of the Water Resources Department worth ₹450 crore for in-stream storage projects and mega lift irrigation units.

In another decision, it cleared a proposal of the General Administration and Public Grievance Department to amend the Odisha Civil Services Rules, 1991.

"The key change eliminates all restrictions on the number of attempts for the Odisha Civil Services Examination. A candidate can appear for the examination until his/her upper age limit," Garg said.

The cabinet also approved the Odisha Shikshanet project, worth ₹393.62 crore, to provide free campus Wi-Fi with a daily limit of 1 GB across 601 colleges, benefiting around six lakh students, she said.

Besides, it cleared the Paddy Procurement Policy for the Kharif Marketing Season 2026-27. The government will procure at least 78 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from farmers at ₹3,100 per quintal, with payments transferred directly to their bank accounts within 24-48 hours.

The government also approved a proposal to extend the tenure of around 5,000 private fair price shop dealers by one year, until September 30, 2027.

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