Cuttack, Aug. 20: Orissa High Court today revoked its order to maintain the status quo issued last year regarding land acquisition for a thermal power plant at Kamalanga village in Dhenkanal district.

The court’s decision paved way for construction of railway siding and direct approach road under the project.

The Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation had issued a notification to acquire 30 acres of private land for the project. Over 30 persons, possessing around five of the 62 acres identified for acquisition, had filed nine separate petitions challenging the notification.

In April last, the high court had issued orders to maintain status quo in connection with the petitioners’ land. The private company had subsequently filed a petition for vacating the stay order stating that Rs 5,500 crore had been spent on the project and power generation already started.

“Allowing the petition, the division bench of Chief Justice C. Nagappan and Justice Indrajit Mohanty today vacated the status quo order,” petitioners’ counsel Trilochan Barik told The Telegraph.

“The bench, however, clarified in its order that any construction on the disputed land in respect to the petitioners should be subject to final decision of the court on the petitions,” Barik said.

Vacating of the status quo order is necessary as acquisition of the petitioners’ land is required to go ahead with construction of railway siding and direct approach road under the project, the private company pleaded.

Barik said land acquisition for the project had been challenged on the ground that it allegedly did not fulfil public purpose as a private company was promoting it.

One GMR Kamalanga Energy Limited is promoting the proposed 1,400MW per annum generation capacity thermal power plant.