Sate Govt Support for Raw Material Linkage to Steel Industries Encouraging: Rakesh Sing

Bhubaneswar: State Govt has provided encouraging support for raw material linkage to steel industries in the State and there has been substantial progress in the matter said Sri Rakesh Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Steels, Govt of India while replying to a media query after taking review in a high level meeting held under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Sri Gokul Chandra Pati in secretariat conference hall today.

Sri Singh also said that Ministry has targeted to enhance steel production to 300 million tons by 2025 in phases. In the first phase, target has been set to boost up the production to 200 MT per annum by the year 2020-2021. Chief Secretary Sri Pati has advised the central PSUs and private companies to put their statutory clearance applications on first track with all the required papers, DGPS maps, land schedules, compensatory afforestation plan etc. in one go.

They have also been advised to take immediate possession of acquired land and start setting up their units. They have been asked not to leave the land unutilized as it is likely to create many other legal and social complications.

The issues relating to long term coal linkage, renewal of license, support to downstream industries in steel sector, payment of compensations, fulfillment of resettlement & rehabilitation responsibilities and Corporate Social responsibilities by the industries, setting up pelletization units by SAIL and RINL were discussed in the meeting.

Central PSUs like SAIL, NMDC, RINL, NSDC, IBM and private companies like Zindal, Tata Steels, Bajaj Steels, Visa Steels presented their problems which were discussed in detail and necessary decisions were taken for quick resolution of the issues.

Secretary, Steel & Mines Sri G. Srnivas presented the updates on allocation of coal blocks, coal linkages, expression orders etc. for facilitating quicker resolution of the issues. The proposal relating to reserve of 50% of total coal production from working mines in Odisha for industries having their production units in the State also figured in the meeting.

The matter received in principle nod from all the stake holders. Sources say, the matter is being examined by the department of Steel & Mines as per the existing laws and regulations of mining. Additional Chief Secretary Revenue & Disaster management Dr. Taradatt, Principal Secretary Forest & Revenue

Sri Raj Kumar Sharma, Secretary Steel & Mines Sri G. Srnivas, MD OMC Sri S.N. Girish along with other senior officers from respective departments and representatives of the PSUs as well as Industries participated in discussion.