By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The State High Level Clearance Authority, chaired Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on Tuesday approved five major industrial projects to the tune of Rs. 1,46,172 crore in metal and metal downstream sectors, which included 2 projects of Rungta Mines Limited worth Rs 18,920 Crore. These 2 Projects Rungta Mines Limited will create job opportunities for around 11,334 people.
Expansion of Rungta Mines Limited’s Integrated Steel Plant from the proposed capacity of 2.85 million tons per annum capacity to 7.55 million tons per annum by adding capacity of 4.7 million tons per annum against an investment of Rs. 11,001 crore to be set up in Jharbandh, District – Dhenkanal, which will generate potential employment opportunities for over 6,200 persons.
Expansion of Rungta Mines Limited’s Steel Plant capacity from 0.53 million tons per annum to 3 million tons per annum against an investment of Rs. 7,920 crore to be set up in Karakhendra, Keonjhar, which will generate potential employment opportunities for over 5,134 persons.
Approving these projects, Chief Minister Patnaik said that all these projects need a big push forward to realize the steel dream of Odisha.This is in line with Chief Minister’s vision of 2030 for making Odisha the steel hub of India. All these five projects will create an additional steel production capacity of 28 million tons.This will almost double the steel production capacity of the state to 58 million tons, which is currently at 30 million tons per annum. This will help to achieve the goal to produce 100 million tons of steel by 2030. The state has currently a production capacity of 30 million tons, way ahead of a meager 2 million tons in the year 2000.
The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari, Steel & Mines Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick, RD, Labour & ESI Minister Susant Singh, Industries Minister Divyashankar Mishra . Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra Secretary to CM V K Pandian, Principal Secretary Industries Hemant Sharma and other senior officers.
