Tata Steel Kalinganagar plant to start work soon

After jumping several targeted timelines for resuming construction work for its six million tonne per annum greenfield steel project at Kalinganagar in Orissa's Jajpur district, Tata Steel has finally exuded confidence to start the work on the plant by December this year.

“There is a group of 100-odd anti-displacement people who have held up construction work on our steel plant. However, of late, the district administration has shown resolve in persuading these people and we are going to commence construction work on our steel project positively by December this year”, BK Singh, vice-president (Orissa project) of Tata Steel told reporters here.

Singh admitted that Tata Steel has not been able to resume construction work on the proposed steel plant as per its targeted timelines due to resistance from the anti-displacement people belonging to the affected villages.

“Tata Steel has already shifted 740 out of the 1195 families and we are in talks with the rest. The company can kick off construction work on its steel plant even without shifting all the families but displacement being a sensitive issue, we don't want to thrust anything on the affected people”, Singh said here on the sidelines of a CII meet.