Orissa govt clears Rs 2200 cr Apeejay project

The ninth HLCA meeting chaired by Patnaik cleared 10 projects in the steel, power and petro-chemical sector which were earlier approved by the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) headed by the chief secretary.

Talking to the media persons after the HLCA meeting, chief secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy said, the ship building yard and repairing project will be implemented through a joint venture company named as Oceanic Shipyard Ltd (OSL) formed by APJ Shipping and Bharati Shipyard.

The project will be implemented in three phases with an estimated investment Rs 2200 crore in the first phase. Official sources said, the state government is likely to benefit about Rs.3700 crore over next 25-30 years in the form of taxes and duties. Besides, it will generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for about 51,300 persons when fully commissioned.

The company has indicated to the Orissa government that it will complete all phases of the project within 72 months. It has sought 1050 acres of land and the state government has already accorded the administrative approval for the acquisition of the required land for this employment intensive project, sources added.
 
Similarly, the Welspun Power and Steel Ltd's proposal for setting up a 5 million tonne per annum iron ore beneficiation plant and 3 million tonne per annum pelletisation plant at Dhamra was given in principle clearance.

While the company had received approval for setting up of a 3 million tonne per annum (MTPA) steel plant at Tangi at an investment of Rs 6103.8 crore earlier, it proposed to set up a iron ore benificiation and 3 MTPA palletisation plant at Dhamra. This entails an additional investment of Rs 1830 crore.

The committee also cleared the capacity expansion plan of the Essar Steel from 4 million tonne to 6 million tonne per annum aqlong with a 8 million tonne per annum iron ore benificiation plant. The company intended to change its steel making technology from the sponge iron route to blast furnace route.

The project, in its revised form, entails an investment of about 10,724 crore.While the company requires about 2200 acres of land, it has acquired about 103 acres.

Besides, the proposal of the SMC Power Generation Ltd to expand capacity from 0.5mtpa to 1mtpa, increasing the capacity of MSP Metaliks from 0.25 mtpa to 1 mtpa, enhancement of steel making capacity of Bhusan Steels from 3.10 million tonne to 9 million tonne per annum were approved by HLCA.

The proposal of Bhusan Energy Ltd for 2000 Mw thermal power plant at one go, 1000 Mw thermal power plant by Monnet Ispat and Energy at one go instead of two phases and 1000 Mw thermal power plant at one go also received the nod of HLCA.

About the PCPIR at paradip, Ashok Kumar Meena, managing director, Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa Ltd (Ipicol) said, HLCA has given in principle approval to the state's Rs 2700 crore expenditure committment for infrastructural development for PCPIR. An estimated Rs 15,275 crore is proposed to be invested in the project.

The Central support for PCPIR is projected at about Rs 5008 crore while the remaining Rs 7517 crore will be mobilised through public-private-partnership (PPP), he pointed out.