By Anurjay Dhal
RAJKANIKA/KENDRAPARA (ODISHA): In a major relief to Industry and Mining sectors, which were badly hit due to COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent nationwide lockdown, in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday announced in Bhubaneswar, 120 km from here, to set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee to look into the issues of bringing industries and MSMEs in the current pandemic situation and recommend appropriate suggestions for bringing them back on track. The Ministers who are members of HLCA will be the members of the inter-ministerial group.
The CM announced this at the State HLCA meeting which was convened on Monday. Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari, Energy Minister Sushant Singh, Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick, and Minister of State, Industries & MSME, Dibya Shankar Mishra will be the members of this group. Asit Kumar Tripathy and Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary, Department of Industries were among those also present in the meeting.
Earlier, the Jharkhand’s Chaibasa headquarters, Rungta Mines Ltd Group, India’s largest merchant mining group, was on Monday got a huge relief in Odisha, with the State’s 22nd High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) meeting held under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar, 120 km from here, approving the proposal for setting up an expansion of its Integrated Steel Plant project from 0.9 MTPA to 2.85 MTPA capacity, with Captive Power Plant of 385 MW and 1.69 MTPA Cement Plant (in two phases) at- Jharbandh, District-Dhenkanal with a total investment of Rs. 7836.90 crore providing employment of about 4900 people.
The Rungta Mines Ltd Group, which had lost at least half dozen running mines under Joda-Koira regions of State’s mineral rich Sundargarh-Keonjhar regions, in the last concluded bidding, following lease expired on March 31 this year, till has 2 running mines, which has lifespan of 15 years and more while the Big Merchant Miner is also eyeing on large share of 9 Virgin Blocks, which will be put for bidding after the lockdown gets over.
The HLCA has also approved the proposal of M/s. Dhunseri Ventures Limited for setting up Maleic Anhydride manufacturing unit with annual capacity of 60,000MT at Paradeep, with a total investment of Rs. 1013.29 crore providing employment to 350 people.
In the Footwear sector, the proposal of M/S Niren Kumar Anand, for setting up Footwear manufacturing unit of capacity 1 Million pieces with an investment of Rs. 62.44 crore and employing around 620 people also got approval.
The proposal of M/s Kashvi International (P) Limited to set up an additional 1.2 MTPA Iron Ore Beneficiation Plant to its 0.6 MTPA Iron Ore Pelletization Plant, with an investment of Rs. 55.23 crore and providing employment to about 50 people also get HLCA nod.
The proposal of M/s Purosteel India Pvt. Ltd is to set up a manufacturing unit such as tubes & Pipes PVD Coating, furniture fabrication, finished sheets & profiles, trimes plant with an investment of Rs. 53.42 crore providing employment opportunities for 200 people and proposal of M/s Odisha Carriers and Trade for setting up three logistics Park cum Fulfillment centres, with an investment of Rs. 80 crore and it will provide an additional employment opportunities for 405 people also approved.
