New Delhi: Land required for setting up of the project is acquired and work of preparation of the site is in final stages, namely, development of infrastructure at site and tendering of equipment and components are at various stages. The excavation clearance for the project is accorded recently by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). This will follow the start of excavation work at the site.
The first phase is comprising of Unit-1 (700 MW) and Unit-2 (700 MW) of Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidhyut Pariyojna (GHAVP). The work on the project will start with the First Pour of Concrete [FPC (the zero date of start of construction)] in the year 2019. The commencement of commercial operation reckoned with the FPC is five and half years for the first unit and followed by the second unit after one year.
The government has accorded financial sanction of Rs 20,594 crore for setting up GHAVP Unit 1&2 (2X700 MW). The cumulative capital expenditure incurred upto December-2017 is Rs 1,031 crore.
The project will bring in large investment in the region and thereby resulting in enhanced economic activity providing opportunities to the locals through direct and indirect employment and businesses. Coupled with this, there will be significant opportunities for self-employment. A large number of people will also get employment with the contractors engaged in implementation of the project, for supply of goods and services thereby generating jobs in the surrounding areas, mainly benefitting the locals.
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) pursues welfare activities in and around its Nuclear Power Plants in four major areas. These welfare activities are essentially identified in consultation with the representatives of local population and state machinery based on their identified needs. The proposal, based on the above, are scrutinised with a multi-tier review and approval by the Board, in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013. The four major areas are, support to education, including skill development; health and sanitation; infrastructure development and environmental sustainability. Under the neighbourhood welfare programmes at GHAVP, some of the key initiatives taken up by NPCIL are, support to the meritorious students by way of award of scholarship, pedagogical aids, construction of inter-connecting roads within the area, construction of toilets in schools and public places, including some Panchayats and mid-day meal shelters in the schools. Special efforts were also made, based on the need identified by the locals, for construction of cow-sheds and renovation of gaushalas. The welfare programme also focused on providing assistive devices to the specially abled persons in the area. More welfare works are identified as an ongoing exercise in the above referred areas under CSR. These include, augmentation of construction of toilet blocks in schools, providing of equipment for gymnasium in Gorakhpur State Stadium, construction of drinking water tanks, etc.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
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