By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: The Union Minister for Steel-PNG Dharmendra Pradhan in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday said the Ministry of Steel has launched ‘Purvodaya’ initiative, encompassing development of Integrated Steel Hubs in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
Purvodaya aims to focus on development of the Eastern region by setting up green field and brown field steel plants for capacity addition, development of steel clusters near Integrated Steel Plants as well as demand centres and transformation of logistics and utilities infrastructure.
The National Steel Policy envisages achievement of 300 MTPA crude steel capacity by 2030-31. Towards achievement of this goal Ministry of Steel has taken several initiatives namely:-
Domestically Manufactured Iron & Steel Products Policy for promoting procurement of Made in India steel by Government agencies.Steel Scrap Policy for enhancing availability of domestically generated scrap.
Issuance of Steel Quality Control Orders for stopping non-standardized steel import and manufacturing. 113 SQCOs have so far been issued.Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) for advanced registration of steel imports.Draft Framework Policy to promote setting up of steel clusters having manufacturing units for value added steel, ancillaries, capital goods etc.
To ensure availability of raw material to the steel sector, Ministry of Steel has worked closely with Ministry of Mines and Ministry of Coal for auction and restart of expiring iron ore mines, extension of mining leases with Steel CPSEs, setting up of coking coal washeries by CIL/BCCL, auction/allotment of coking coal mines and diversification of coking coal imports etc.
