Salboni (WB)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday laid the foundation stone for a 1,600 MW ultra-supercritical thermal power plant at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district, asserting that the greenfield project marked a significant milestone in the state's industrial and infrastructure development.

To be developed by JSW Energy at an investment of Rs 16,000 crore, the plant will have two units of 800 MW each. While the first unit is scheduled to be commissioned in 42 months, the second is expected to go operational in 48 months.

“This is a landmark project for West Bengal and the first of its kind in Eastern India. It will cover 23 districts and generate employment for 15,000 people,” Banerjee said at the event, where she lit a digital lamp and unveiled the foundation plaque.

Highlighting her government’s thrust on the power sector, Banerjee said West Bengal has witnessed a massive expansion in generation capacity since her government came to power.

“When we took office in 2011, the power generation capacity was just 2,000 MW. Today, it has increased to 10,000 MW, and we are working to raise it to 18,000 MW. Our power department is developing five new plants, and we will invest an additional Rs 48,000 crore in the sector,” she announced.

Banerjee said new power plants are coming up in Santaldih, Durgapur, and Sagardighi, adding that higher power generation will ultimately lead to a reduction in unit prices for consumers.

The chief minister said her government has already spent Rs 76,000 crore since 2011 to ensure round-the-clock power supply across the state.

She also pointed to the rise in electricity consumers — from 1.07 crore in 2011 to 2.30 crore at present — as evidence of growing demand and the need for robust infrastructure.

“The world’s second-largest coal complex is coming up at Deocha-Pachami. Once operational, there will be no power crisis in West Bengal,” Banerjee said.

Chairman of JSW Group, Sajjan Jindal, described Salboni as a “dream” project for the conglomerate and appreciated the progress made by the state over the last decade.

“The land belongs to the farmers, and they should benefit from the industry coming up in this place. The Salboni power plant will feature the highest-rated technology with zero pollution and will help meet the growing energy needs of a rapidly developing Bengal,” Jindal said.

He also announced the foundation of an industrial park near the project site, which, along with the power plant, is expected to create thousands of job opportunities.

Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly and Trinamool Congress MP Dipak Adhikari, better known by his screen name Dev, were present at the event.

Reaffirming her government’s commitment to industrial growth, Banerjee said West Bengal offers a strong ecosystem for investors, backed by robust infrastructure, business-friendly policies, and consistent administrative support.

She informed the gathering that the newly constituted Synergy Committee of the state government has cleared investment proposals worth Rs 1,000 crore in just 15 days.

“Of the Rs 4.40 lakh crore worth of proposals received at the latest business summit, projects valued at Rs 1,000 crore have already been approved and also cleared 200 small units. Of the cumulative Rs 19 lakh crore in investment proposals over the years, Rs 13 lakh crore worth of projects have been implemented, and the rest are in various stages of completion,” Banerjee said.

The chief minister added that the state has built 3.5 lakh kilometres of new electricity lines and established 750 new substations in recent years as part of the infrastructure ramp-up.

“Bengal needs more and more power. We are committed to meeting that demand and making the state a hub for clean, sustainable, and affordable energy,” Banerjee said.

The JSW Group will also set up an industrial park in Salboni, spreading over 2000 acres of land, Banerjee said, adding that she urged the group to build a skill training centre.

The CM assured the group of providing all the help to build the centre.

Banerjee said six economic corridors are being set up in the state to facilitate economic activities.

In Purulia's Raghunathpur, Rs 72,000 crore is being invested and five big companies will set up their units there.

ALSO READ: Pope Francis: Humble Latino Pontiff who redefined Papacy and spoke for the poor

Slamming the opposition for lambasting her government for alleged non-implementation of investment proposals in Bengal, Banerjee said, "You can criticise me but you cannot ignore me... We don't say much, we do things in the right way."

"I want everyone to love each other... India is a vast country but unique. We have to remember that we have different states, food, languages, cultures, religions and festivals, but we are together. We want to strengthen it, not to divide it," Banerjee added.