The major infrastructure works for the plastic, polymer and allied cluster proposed at Balasore is expected to be completed by the end of June this year.
An expenditure amounting to Rs 13.97 crore has been incurred on the cluster and this included Rs 5 crore spent by industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Odisha (Idco). The money has been spent on building warehouse, truck parking hub, power distribution infrastructure and common facility centre.
“The industries department had recently taken stock of physical progress made in respect of the cluster. Idco has been asked to initiate steps for development of internal road at the cluster site,” said an official source.
This cluster is being implemented by special purpose vehicle (SPV) called NOCCI Balasore Infrastructure Company formed between the North Odisha Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NOCCI) and the state owned Idco.
Currently, over 100 units are operating from the cluster with an annual turnover totaling to Rs 2,500 crore.
NOCCI Balasore Infrastructure Company has requested the water resources department for sourcing 60,000 kilo litres per day of water from the Budhabalanga river. The SPV will also submit utilization certificate for expenditure of Rs 8.97 crore made by it to the Government of India.
Three industrial estates on the outskirts of Balasore- Ganeswarpur (64 acres), Somnathpur (458 acres) and Balgopalpur (155 acres) have been identified for the ‘Plastic, Polymer and Allied Cluster’.
Polymer based units constitute nearly 50 per cent of the total operating units of the cluster. Most of the units established in the cluster are involved in processing of plastics and polymers including manufacturing of plastic pipes, polypropylene based household products, polypropylene woven sacks and rubber-based prophylactics. Other units in the area are engaged in paper manufacturing, ferro chrome production, manufacturing of multi-wall paper sacks, ceramics-based components for steel plants, fabrication and engineering.
Of the annual turnover of the cluster estimated at Rs 2,500 crore, exports account for Rs 750 crore. The cluster currently employs around 7,700 people.
The plastic cluster has been approved for funding under DIPP’s Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme to support addition and upgradation of infrastructure facilities in the cluster. The project components approved to be taken up for development of the cluster include development of intermediate-laned bypass road from Balgopalpur to National Highway (NH)-5 (Rs 5.43 crore), external linkage of water supply (Rs 14.28 crore), strengthening of power distribution infrastructure (Rs 9.54 crore), railway siding (Rs 21.45 crore) and truck parking hub (Rs 2.45 crore).
Other facilities include warehousing (Rs 3.10 crore), common facilities centre (Rs 11.52 crore), business centre (Rs 12.59 crore) and administrative expenses (Rs 1.14 crore).
The total cost of developing all these facilities has been worked out at Rs 81.90 crore of which Central grant is Rs 58.28 crore.
