Centre approves Adani Power’s plan to link Godda plant to Indian grid: Report
New Delhi: The Centre has approved Adani Power Limited’s (APL) proposal to connect its Godda Ultra Super Critical Thermal Power Plant in Jharkhand to the Indian power grid, The Indian Express reported on Friday.
The plant, which currently supplies electricity exclusively to Bangladesh, will be linked to the domestic grid through a Line-In Line-Out (LILO) connection to the Kahalgaon A–Maithon B 400 KV transmission line.
To lay the proposed transmission line—passing through 56 villages across the Godda and Poreyahat tehsils in Jharkhand’s Godda district—the Centre has granted Adani Power Limited (APL) the same powers as those held by the telegraph authority under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. This allows APL to place and maintain transmission lines and posts under, over, along, or across any immovable property as permitted by the Act.
The Power Ministry’s order comes in the wake of several amendments to regulations to enable this transmission connectivity to the APL’s Godda plant, including the ministry’s move to amend the guidelines for import and export of electricity, the Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) move to amend procedure for facilitating cross border flows, among others, the report added.
Declared a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in March 2019, APL’s Godda power plant supplies electricity exclusively to Bangladesh. However, following a regime change in Dhaka in August 2024, the Indian government had allowed as an interim arrangement to connect the Godda plant with Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS), a high-voltage network in India that transmits electricity across state borders, enabling power flow from surplus regions to areas with deficits and ensuring grid stability.
APL, earlier called Adani Power Jharkhand Ltd, wrote to the Ministry of Power on August 6, 2024, a day after the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. In the letter, it informed the government that “given the sustained increase in power demand across India, it would be beneficial if their generating station could cater to such demand in India, when the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) is not scheduling power from the plant on account of low demand, any default under PPA or any geo-political issue.”
The latest approval by the Power Ministry is granted for 25 years. APL must secure clearances from relevant authorities including local bodies, Railways, and the Civil Aviation and Defence ministries. The transmission line can only be operated after approval from the Centre’s electrical inspector and in compliance with the Electricity Act, 2003.
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Attacks on Christians contradict PM's message of harmony, visit to church: Gehlot
Jaipur (PTI): Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday expressed concern over the reported attacks and disruptions in prayer gatherings of the Christian community in different parts of the country, saying such incidents were "worrying and condemnable".
In a post on X, Gehlot said that while the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting a church and giving a message of peace and harmony, news of attacks on members of the Christian community from various regions reflected a serious contradiction.
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"Symbolic gestures would not be enough, and strict legal action was required against those spreading hatred," the senior Congress leader said.
He added that Indian culture has always upheld the spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", where every citizen has full freedom to practise their faith.
Gehlot urged the Centre and state governments to uphold the rule of law and ensure that no citizen is forced to celebrate their festival under fear.
