The Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), a unit of public sector Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), conducted a technical trial run on Sunday for the first rakes of iron ore extracted from Rowghat mine in Antagarh to its facility in Bhilai in Chhattisgarh.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel hailed the successful run of the rakes to BSP.
In a tweet, Baghel said it were the efforts of the Congress which prevented the Rowghat mines from going into private hands. The BJP government had given it to private mining enterprises, he said.
“The public sector steel maker’s long-awaited project has reached its first milestone,” he said.
The first rake of 21 wagons were dispatched from Antagarh to BSP on Saturday. Anirban Dasgupta, Director, BSP, and other officials welcomed the first rake on Sunday.
Dasgupta said it was a matter of pride that iron ore from Chhattisgarh would be converted into world class products.
In order to transport iron ore from Rowghat to Bhilai, a railway line is being constructed from Dalli-Rajhara to Narayanpur. The route covering 60 km from Dalli-Rajhara to Antagarh is operational.
The next 60-77 km till Taroki is expected by January 2023.