Bhubaneswar: Power plants in Orissa were put on alert on Wednesday following information that LeT and other left-wing extremists may target the power plants across the country and state.

All the employees and vehicles entering the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in Angul and Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) are being frisked.

“The issue of security of power plants was recently discussed and all possible steps are being taken in this regard,” Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, energy minister said.

Security has been also tightened at CISF armory located in some power plants in the state.

“ The CISF is on alert all the time and we are ready to face any situation,” Sher Singh, Deputy Commandant, CISF said.

This came after Mullappally Ramachandran, minister of state in the ministry of home affairs, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday said that terrorist outfits and CPI-Maoists had plans to target some power plants in the country including Orissa.

The minister had also said that 72 power plants all over the country have been provided security cover by CISF and there is proposal to extend the security cover to more plants.

Notably, the Maoists had looted weapons from the CISF armoury located at the hilltop mines in Koraput on April 12 last year. Similarly, the Hydro-power unit in Balimela was also targeted by the rebels recently.