Cabinet approves power plants at Salboni, setting up Durgangan
The Statesman | 13 August 2025
The state Cabinet, which met today under the leadership of the chief minister Mamata Banerjee put a seal on a number of crucial decisions, including the setting up of two more power plants of (each 800+ 800mgw) of 1600 mgw at Salboni.
Besides, the state cabinet also cleared the proposal, which was announced by the chief minister, of setting up of “Durgangan” on the lines of Jagannath temple at Digha, for which a trust had been formed today.
Moreover, the Cabinet also put its seal on amending the building rules of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to facilitate construction of small houses for economically weaker sections of the society at relatively small plots in the city.
Later, announcing the decisions taken at the Cabinet today, Arup Biswas, the state power and PWD minister said that it has been decided to clear the proposals of setting up two more power plants of 800 mgw each at Salboni.
“These plants would add another milestone in the already success story of the state in the power sector. The project after completion would add more teeth to the power generation. This comes following the setting up of 1,600 mgw plants by the Jindal Group for which a foundation stone had already been laid by the chief minister Mamata Banerjee,” Mr Biswas said.
The state power minister further said that for the setting up of the two plants, a tender would be floated. The entire project would be built on a public private participation (PPP) model.
He further said that the Cabinet today also formalised the proposal to build “Durgangan” on the lines of Jagannath temple for which a trust had been set up. The members of the trust and location and estimated cost of the project would be made public later, the minister said.
He said that HIDCO and the tourism department would be in charge of the project.
Firhad Hakim, the state municipal affairs minister and mayor also said an amendment in building rules of Kolkata Municipal Corporation with an eye to facilitate building of houses with maximum of three floors at a height of 15 meters on a relatively small plot in the city with an eye on habitation of the weaker sections of the society. He also said that for setting up such houses, all the relevant works would be done online to accelerate matters.
A source said there was also approval for recruitment in at least 632 vacant posts. Most of the recruitments would likely be in the posts of health, housing and law and justice departments of the state.
With an eye to spruce up the state health department, the cabinet also decided to launch a mobile medical unit to reach out to the people reeling under serious health issues in an expeditious manner. About 210 such mobile medical units would be at work, claimed a source.