The Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) will be upgraded to 10-million-tonne capacity during the 12th Plan period. This was decided at a high-level meeting held under chairmanship of Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra here on Saturday in which Union Steel Secretary G Mohan Kumar took a review of the progress of various steel and mining projects in the State.
Kumar said Odisha has figured prominently in the country’s steel map as the State has attracted large investments in this sector. However, there is still large scope for investment in the steel and allied sectors. There is a lot of future prospect for the OMC and the NMDC to work together. These two corporations have been advised to locate the areas of collaboration so that raw material linkages can be assured to the investors.
The Chief Secretary, emphasising on upgradation of the Rourkela Steel Plant, said the State Government would provide all support proactively to accomplish this task within the 12th Plan period.
It was also decided that a joint meeting of the Union and Odisha Governments, MMTC, SAIl and NINl would be held under chairmanship of the Steel Secretary to resolve issues relating to shares of the MMTC and the NINl. Mohapatra wanted decisions on the issues form the larger perspective of national and State interests.
The issues relating to updating of mining leases was also discussed at the meeting. It was decided that the Union Steel and Mines Secretaries and the Odisha Government would call bilateral meetings of the perspective lesees and resolve the issues through mutual discussions to avoid further litigations which unnecessary delay the process. Mohan Kumar said such solutions would boost investment in this sector and open up a second phase of investment in the State.
The issues relating to forest clearances, land acquisition, removal of encroachments, rehabilitation, renewal of mining leases, etc., of the SAIl, MNDC, OMDC, NSPCl, RSP and MSTC were discussed and resolved at the meeting.