Jajpur/Kalinganagar: The Centre plans to turn Kalinganagar Industrial Complex into a steel hub as the National Steel Policy aims at producing annually 300 million tonnes of steel by 2030, Union steel minister Chaudhary Birender Singh said Tuesday.
The policy has fixed the share of Odisha in steel production at 100 million tonnes with India being placed second after China in steel production, Singh said while addressing industry owners and managing directors at the Tata Steel conference hall in Kalinganagar in Jajpur district.
The country has witnessed a 12 per cent rise in steel use during last four years, the minister said. Currently, the per capita use of steel is 65 kg in the country. The Centre plans to increase it to 160 kg by 2030. The country currently produces 102 million tonnes of steel per annum out of which the share of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) is 14 per cent and that of Kalinganagar Industrial Complex is 4 million tonnes. Singh directed the steel company owners to increase production to 7 million tonnes in the next five years.
The industrialists cited the problems they face in getting raw materials and in transport due to lack of proper roads, railway sidings and ports. The Paradip and Dhamra ports lack facilities while the Jakhpura rail siding has remained closed following a National Green Tribunal order.
They also alleged that they are paying an extra 55 paise per unit of electricity and demanded its inclusion in GST.
The Union minister assured the industrialists of looking into their demands and making the Jakhpura rail siding operational. He also directed the Odisha Mining Corporation to extend its agreement with industrial units.
Vishal Agarwall from Visa Steel and Ratan Jindal from Jindal Stainless Steel were among the industrialists present at the meeting.
PNN