By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, April 20, 2016 : In a major relief to people of Odisha virtually sizzling under the impact of heat wave, the energy minister on Wednesday announced not to cut power till May 20.

“There will be no power cuts from April 20 till May 20. Despite peak demand remaining higher by 150-200 MW as compared to last year, we are meeting it through procurement against power banking which will end on May 15. We are trying to extend that. We have directed GRIDCO to procure power from the market from a GP or IPP to meet the shortfall. So there will be no power cut till May 20,” energy minister Pranab Prakash Das told media persons after a meeting held here to review power situation in the state.

The situation will be reviewed next on May 15, the Minister added.

Most parts of the state have registered record temperature in the last 10 days with the state capital Bhubaneswar reporting its all-time high temperature at 45.8 degree centigrade on April 11.

Odisha government last week had ordered closure of all government and private schools from April 12th as over half of the Odisha districts is reeling under intense heat wave conditions.