The Union Government has constituted a taskforce to identify potential industries which would set up units in its proposed first steel cluster at Kalinganagar in Jajpur district.
The taskforce would be headed by Union Steel Secretary Binoy Kumar and co-chaired by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy.
The Ministry has decided to set up the cluster as a pilot project keeping in view the bright prospects of steel production in the country in general and Odisha in particular. It has targeted to produce 250 million tonne per annuam (MTPA) steel by 2030.
The aim of the cluster is to enhance the downstream industry ecosystem and generate more job opportunities for the people.
While the State is over reliant on mineral exploitation and export, the cluster will make a shift from mining to manufacturing, pointed out the officer.
The taskforce would look into all these aspects while identifying the industries and investors to come up in the proposed cluster.
In the meantime, a working group has been formed to find potential investors and industries in auto ancillary, agricultural implements, antifriction bearing spare parts, building materials and fittings, belt and accessories copper, crane equipments, corrugated sheets, cement, casting powder, ferro alloys, mobile equipments, MS angles, channel, rod, foundries and forging and several other industries.
Under this backdrop, the Ministry has approached the State Government to provide details on land available through the State Land Bank so that investors will be informed about the extent of private and Government land available in the proposed cluster.
The Industries Department will coordinate with the Ministry to set up the cluster on a priority basis.