By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, November 4, 2015 : With more than 10 proposed thermal power projects in Odisha yet to take off even after several years of singing of Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] due to lack of assured coal linkage and land related issue, Odisha Government has decided to make it an issue during the two-day conference of Power Ministers of States in Kerala beginning Friday.

The Conference, scheduled to be inaugurated by union minister of state for power, coal, new and renewable energy Piyush Goyal, will deliberate on a host of issues pertaining to the sector. State energy secretary S uresh Chandra Mohapatra will attend the conference as minister of state for energy Pranab Prakash Das is busy in district visit in view of the drought situation.

Besides reforms in power sector, the two-day conference will discuss issues related to power generation, distribution and transmission, coal production and supply, promotion of renewable energy and energy conservation, official sources said.

The meeting is significant as it comes ahead of the winter session of Parliament which proposed to amend the Electricity Act, 2003.

The union government on Thursday approved the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) for providing financial turnaround and revival package for power distribution companies (Discoms).

However the state government appears not happy with the arrangement as it has been demanding direct financial assistance from the Centre for revival of the sector.