West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, officially inaugurated the construction of a large 1,600 MW thermal power plant at Salboni in the Paschim Medinipur district.

JSW Energy will build the plant, which will have two units, each producing 800 MW. The project will cost Rs 1,600 crore.

This is the first time JSW Energy is building a new power plant in Eastern India.

The first 800 MW unit is planned to be ready in 42 months, and the second one is expected 48 months later.

JSW Group also has a unit that grinds cement in the same area in Salboni.

Mamata Banerjee used a digital lamp to mark the beginning of the work and also showed the official plaque for the power plant.

Sajjan Jindal, the head of JSW Group said that the state has developed a lot in the last 10 years and people are happy with the progress in West Bengal. 

He also stressed that the land belongs to local farmers, and they should benefit from the industry being set up there.