Will the age-old Idcol ferrochrome plant of Jajpur Road be a sick in the long runIJ It is a question in everyone’s mind here.
The plant was established at Jajpur Road in 1967 in collaboration with a Switzerland company during the premiership of Biju Patnaik. The plant was the first of its kind in Asia. The plant produces high carbon ferrochrome and silco chrome. These raw materials are used for production of stainless steel, which is now in great demand not only in India but throughout the world.
Sukinda chrome valley has more than 85 per cent of chrome ore deposit in Asia. The ferrochrome plant area is spread over more than 300 hectares of land having valuable coconut, mango, teak, piasala and other valuable trees worth Rs 1,000 crore.
After having functioned for long 46 years, now the plant position is very precarious. Reports said 15 years back, its staff position was 1,000 but now it has got reduced to only 300. With manpower crunch, it’s now very difficult to run the plant smoothly. Considering the financial position of the plant, the Government has stopped new recruitment since long.
The ferrochrome plant is having its own chromite mines at Tailangi in Sukinda. The mines are spread over 221 hectares of land, but the ferrochrome plant is operating only in 65 acres. Now chromite grade of the operating mines is very low which is not suitable for operating the plant.
For an alternative arrangement, the plant authority has started operating on another 155 acres. After getting environmental clearance, the operation has started. But other clearances are pending which might take a year to obtain, said plant MD Babaji Charan Sahoo. Now the plant is solely depending on OMC for raw materials which is very costly, he informed.
Since long, the plant has shut down its furnace which was producing silco chrome. The finished product of the plant is only high carbon ferrochrome, Sahoo maintained.
During last 46 years, the plant has not been modernised though new technology has been floated throughout the world. The people of Jajpur demanded that the Government should come out with a bail-out package to save the age-old unit, with relaxation in regime for ore procurement and more investment for its modernization. Since Jajpur Road is an industrial hub, the State-owned plant should not be ignored, the locals demanded.