The State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) headed by the chief secretary, Ajit Kumar Tripathy today approved projects worth Rs 29,198 crore.
The projects include a downstream park in steel sector, three power plants, two cement plants, five iron ore pelletisation plant, one brewery and one solar photo-voltaic cell manufacturing plant.
While 6 projects worth Rs 1,898 crore were given go ahead by the single window authority, 7 projects envisaging an investment of Rs 27,300 crore were referred to the High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) headed by the chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
Briefing the media after the meeting industry secretary, AP Padhi said, the SLSWCA approved 13 projects out of the 16 projects brought before it. While 6 proposals envisaging investments of less than Rs 1000 crore each got the final clearance of the authority, the remaining 7 projects valued at over Rs 1000 crore each were referred to the HLCA.
The power projects cleared today included Visaka Thermal Power’s proposal to set up a 1100 mw thermal power plant at Bhandaripokhari in Bhadrakh district at an investment of Rs 4800 crore and Ind Bharat Energy’s proposed power plant at Jharsuguda at an investment of about Rs 3150 crore.
Similarly, the proposal of the Astharanga Power Company Limited to set up a 2640 mw power plant (IPP) at Astharanga in Puri district costing Rs 11,200 crore got the single window authority’s nod. Padhi said, the SLSWCA approved Lanco Solar’s proposal to set up a solar photo voltaic cell manufacturing plant in Padmalaspur,Sankarapur and Tentulipatna area at an investment of Rs 2800 crore. This will be first of its kind in the country and will produce crystalline silicon, solar cells and modules.
Two cement plants envisaging a combined investment of about Rs 445 crore were cleared by the authority. This includes Rs 345 crore project of the Shiva Cement to expand its capacity to one million tonne per annum in the first phase. The company will also set up a grinding unit at Jajpur.
Similarly, the Rs 100 crore investment proposal of Eco Cement for setting up a greenfield cement plant was cleared. The proposed unit will have a capacity of 1 million tonne per annum and will not source raw material from Orissa.
Five projects for iron ore beneficiation and pelletisation were approved in today’s meeting. This include Bhushan Steel’s Rs 850 crore beneficiation and pelletisation plant at Muktapur in Keonjhar, JSW Steel’s Rs 1450 crore unit at Kamalanga in Keonjhar, Arm Strong Pellet’s Rs 150 crore plant at Barbil, Sree Metaliks Rs 260 crore project at Anra in Keonjhar district and Welspun Steel’s Rs 1900 crore plant at Dhamra in Bhadrakh district.
The authority also put its seal on the Rs 2000 crore downstream park proposed by Bhushan Power and Steel in Sambalpur and SKOL Brewery’s Rs 193 crore breweries project at Choudwar.
Sources said, the single window authority rejected two power plant proposals following the recommendation of the task force to assess the availability of water in the Brahmani river. These are 1000 Mws (Rs 4400 crore) thermal power plant proposed by Adhunik Power and Natural Resources in Dhenkanal district and Surya Chakra Power Corporation’s proposal to set up a Rs 2744 crore thermal power plant at Chhenipada in Angul district.
However, the decision on Hindalco’s application to expand the capacity of its proposed refinery capacity from 1 mtpa to 1.5 mtpa and smelting capacity from 0.26 mtpa to 0.72 mtpa at an investment of Rs 29,414 crore was deferred.