In view of increasing demand of steel in North-Eastern Region, the centre has decided to set up a Rs. 200 crore steel processing plant in north Guwahati.
"As North-East is witnessing a boom in infrastructure and housing sectors at present, we have asked Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to set up one steel processing unit in Assam," said union steel minster Ramvilas Paswan.
He said that 32 acres of land has already been identified in north Guwahati and for that SAIL has paid an advance payment of Rs. 8 crore to the state government.
The land would be handed over to SAIL by the state government soon. The minister said that the foundation stone of the unit would be laid in the first week of November.
"Setting up of the steel processing unit is an important endevour of my ministry to speed up industrial development of those states where steel making facilities are non existent," said Paswan.
He further requested the state government to consider making all the concessions of central and state industrial policy available to the upcoming unit so as to make it financially viable.
He said that the distribution network of SAIL has also been substantially expanded in North-East in the last four years of his tenure as the minster of steel.