Task force to set up steel plant in Keonjhar

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Saturday decided to form a task force, headed by the Chief Secretary, for setting up a mega steel plant in Keonjhar, the home district of the Chief Minister, officials said.

The decision was taken during a meeting where Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed the industrial scenario in the State. Though Keonjhar district is abundant with raw materials like iron ore, power and water, the area does not have a steel plant.

Notably, Majhi hails from Keonjhar district and it is his priority to set up a major steel facility in the area, an official said. The task force will be headed by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, which will expedite the process of holding talks with investors for the proposed steel plant in Keonjhar district.

ArcelorMittal had planned to set up a 12-mtpa steel plant in Keonjhar but the project was later abandoned due to local protests. The proposed steel plant will have an advantage in terms of supplies of raw materials as several iron ore mines are located across Keonjhar district, another official said.

During the meeting, Industries Department Secretary Hemant Sharma apprised the Chief Minister of the industrial situation in the State and said around 989 proposals have been received by the government for setting up industries.

Of them, 674 projects have got the nod of the State government through single window clearance authority. As many as 352 industries have been provided with land for the establishment of their plants, Sharma said. While work for 183 projects was in progress, 74 industries are in operation in the State, he said.

During the meeting, it was also informed that there were 12 proposals for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the State. Sharma said the Industries department has been putting all-out efforts to implement 41 important investment proposals.

Majhi directed the officials concerned to provide support to industries to set up their units in the State as Odisha has a vast potential to grow as an industrially developed State in the country.

He also asked the officials to stress on the implementation of projects in the labour-incentive sectors like textiles and food processing.

The State government aims at creating 3.5 lakh employment opportunities in Odisha in the next five years. State Industries Minister Sampad Swain and other senior officers were present in the review meeting.