Since 2017, the Larsen & Toubro (L&T) electrical company has been building new electrical towers and transmission lines as part of the expansion of the 765-kilo-watt Angul-Jharsuguda transmission line in Odisha's Sambalpur district. Originally proposed in 2011 by the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCL), the project received permission in December 2016 for the clearance of some 461 hectares of forestland. The new electrical lines will help meet the electricity requirements across the southern power grid in Odisha, which has otherwise remained underpowered. Patra confronted police officers at the demonstration over their use of excessive force against women at the protest. We are here to protect anyone who feels fear, whether company or locals. Women themselves are creating disturbances, a police officer told her. In an interview to Patra in August 2017, Sambalpur district sub-collector Prasanna Das said that a compensation package was being prepared for the villagers, which would be released before the scheduled construction of the pipeline on August 12, 2017. However, the compensation was not distributed by the time the construction began. As per the guidelines of the Odisha government, landholders are entitled to compensation for the loss of any land due to the laying of new transmission lines, in addition to any damages incurred to crops, trees or existing structures.  Work on the project only resumed after representatives from L&T met the affected people and provided them a compensation package in excess of legal requirements, which was awarded on September 30, 2017.