Chief Minister Raghubar Das met Union Minister of Steel Birender Singh in New Delhi on Friday and urged him to open the headquarters of Steel research and Technology Mission of India (SRTMI) in Ranchi.
The CM said that there is abundant mineral wealth available in Jharkhand. This institute will get the benefit from opening in Ranchi. Mineral based units in the State are SAIL, RDCIS, MECON, MIT, Tata Steel and JSPL. Besides, Rourkela industrial area, Durgapur, Burnpur etc are also close from here.
Apart from Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh will also get benefit from its opening in Ranchi.
The State Government is ready to cooperate to open SRTMI's headquarter in Ranchi.
The Union Minister of Steel said that the headquarters of SRTMI will be opened soon in Ranchi. Das urged the Union Steel Minister to take the initiative in the local industry and the common man to get the steel at a justified rate. The Union Steel Minister said that on January 19, a meeting in Bokaro Steel City under the chairmanship of Steel Secretary will be held on the issue.
Also, the CM urged the Union Steel Minister to take immediate decision regarding the regularization of the people living in the BSL area. The Union Steel Minister said that the Steel Secretary will soon come to Ranchi and a meeting on this matter will be decided in the interest of the people at the earliest.
The CM said that there is a need to promote local level purchasing to promote local industries based on requirement of Bokaro Steel.
On this issue, the Union Minister said that on May 19 the possibility of considering local purchasing will be considered in the meeting of Central Steel Secretary in Bokaro and promoting more and more local purchases.
On the expansion of the steel plant in Chata, the Chief Minister said that the state government will take decision on the allocation of the required iron ore blocks for the steel plant so that the steel plant in Chatra can be made as soon as possible.
The meeting was also attended by Union Minister of State for Steel, Vishnu Deo Sai, Union Steel Secretary, Joint Secretary of the Department of Steel, K. Ravikar, Industry Secretary, Jharkhand Government, Private Secretary K P Other officials were present.