Arcelor-Mittal's Orissa project gets nod

Global steel giant Arcelor- Mittal's proposed 12 million tonne greenfield plant in Orissa's Keonjhar district was today cleared by an official committee for vetting industrial projects.

The Rs 40,000 crore project, which is of the same size as the one South Korean steel major Posco proposes to set up near Paradip, was discussed at the meeting of the state-level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) here today.

The project would now be considered by a high-level clearance authority, headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, which is likely to meet on December 20, Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy, who chaired the meeting, told reporters.

The SLSWCA also cleared the proposal for a three million tonne steel project by the Ruchi group with an investment of Rs 7,500 crore and a Rs 1,500 crore pelletisation plant by Stemcor group of the UK and two flyash and slag-based cement plants in Sundargarh district.

Tripathy said that once the Arcelor-Mittal steel project was approved by the HLCA, it would pave the way for signing of the MoU between the company and the state government.

Arcelor-Mittal Chairman L N Mittal, who had flown to Bhubaneswar on July 7, had announced the company's keenness to set up a 12 million tonne plant in Orissa. Four days later, the state government had constituted a high-level joint working group to coordinate and facilitate work on the project.