New Delhi: The Union government has granted approval to Adani Power Limited (APL) to lay an overhead transmission line to connect its Godda Ultra Super Critical Thermal Power Plant with the Indian grid by effecting a slew of changes in rules and granting the thermal power producer the same authority that is available to the telegraph authority under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, for placing telegraph lines and posts.The Ministry of Power extended similar authority to APL by issuing an order on September 29 using powers under Section 164 of the Electricity Act, 2003, the Indian Express has reported.This has come after multiple changes to rules and regulations to provide connectivity to APL’s Godda plant.This includes changes in guidelines for import and export of electricity, the Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA) move to amend procedure for facilitating cross border flows and the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (CERC) move to amend the General Network Access regulations for Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) and, separately, its regulations governing cross border trade.With the approval granted by the government, APL will lay an overhead transmission line to connect its Godda Ultra Super Critical Thermal Power Plant, which at present supplies electricity to only Bangladesh. This will be done through a Line-In Line-Out (LILO) arrangement of the Kahalgaon A–Maithon B 400 KV line, the report said.The report also said that changes were brought in to grant approval in quick succession since Adani had pitched for the Godda plant to cater to the Indian market on August 6, 2024. Four days later the power ministry said that standby connectivity may be granted in view of the geo-political situation in Bangladesh. On August 12, the ministry amended the Guidelines for Import/ Export (Cross Border) of Electricity, 2018, making way for connecting APL’s Godda plant to Indian grid. Two days later on August 14, the CEA amended the procedures, allowing the government to permit connecting generating stations to Indian grid following which the CERC amended rules to in December to aid standby connectivity to the Godda plant.The APL’s Godda plant supplies electricity only to Bangladesh but after the Sheikh Hasina government fell last year, the government allowed the plant to be connected to the Indian grid by connecting it with ISTS, which transmits electricity across states, enabling flow from surplus states to those in a power deficit. The government’s decision will allow APL to sell power to domestic operators.