Industrial sector in Odisha's Ganjam district received a fillip today when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated two major industrial projects set up at a total investment of around Rs 892 crore near Gopalpur.
These include green-field ferro-chrome plant of Tata Steel set up with an investment of around Rs 542 crore and high-titanium slag of Saraf Agency with an investment of Rs 350 crore.
The 55,000 tonne per annum ferro-chrome project, billed as the first greenfield project with state-of-the-art pollution control equipment and technology such as effluent technology and sewage treatment plant, started its production.
The water requirement for the plant will be met through rainwater harvesting.
Nearly 350 persons will get jobs directly and indirectly through the project.
The ferro-chrome one is the anchor project of Tata Steel's Industrial Park at Gopalpur while several companies have evinced keen interest in investing in the park, Managing Director, Tata Steel (India and SEA) TV Narendran said.
The plant was set up at a cost of Rs 542 crore.
Tata Steel had acquired around 2,970 acres in the area in 1996 for setting up of a mega steel plant. But the company changed its decision and decided to set up the Industrial Park that now includes the SEZ.
As many as 656 core families and 989 extended families of at least five villages near Gopalpur had been displaced in 1996 while people of around 17 villages were affected.
The high-titanium slag plant of 36,000 per annum was established in Titanium dioxide park near Takiria Berhampur by Saraf Agency in its Special Economic Zone of 260 acres.
"The plant has already started operation on experimental basis and it will be stabilised soon," said a senior officer of the company.
Chairman Saraf Group, M S Saraf, requested the chief minister to help expedite the process of mining lease.
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