New Delhi: The Odisha government expects work on the proposed Rs 53,700-crore integrated steel project at Jagatsinghpur in Paradip by Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Group to start soon following successful conclusion of a public hearing, a state official said Sunday.
The consent of local people to the 12MTPA steel project holds significance as South Korean steel gaint POSCO had to abandon its proposed Rs 52,000-crore steel project at the same site due to stiff opposition from the local people.
“JSW’s hearing was conducted peacefully and successfully. That is a huge development. The integrated project has been passed unopposed with almost same investment that POSCO was looking … that is a change … We expect the work to start soon on Rs 53,700 crore JSW project Utkal Steel Limited project,” Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha (IPICOL) MD Nitin B Jawale said.
“The success of this public hearing paves way for the establishment of an integrated steel plant of 12 MTPA capacity, 10 MTPA cement plant and a 900-megawatt captive power plant by the Sajjan Jindal-led group, on an area of 2,980 acre. An all-weather multi-cargo greenfield jetty with handling capacity of 52 MTPA is also part of the project,” Jawale said.
However, sources said that JSW has not received the required 2,980 acres of land and the project will take some more time as formalities, including land handover, erection of boundary and other issues are yet to be sorted out.
When contacted, JSW declined to comment sighting silent period. The company’s financial results are slated for January 24.
Jawale said conclusion of peaceful public hearing is a positive development for Odisha and ‘a major milestone in its industrialization efforts’ as the proposed steel plant is on the same site where the Korean steel giant POSCO’s project was envisaged and there was no opposition from the locals.
“The erstwhile opponents of the POSCO project have also welcomed the JSW project now, demanding an ideal rehabilitation and resettlement package from the state government. This development will also help dispel the prevailing misconceptions about this region and with a major port in the vicinity the Paradip in Odisha is poised for diversified industrial growth,” pointed out Jawale.
PNN & Agencies