All languishing steel projects to be operationalised: Birender Singh

Infuse Rs 500 crore to make three of them at UP, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, says Union Minister

The Centre will operationalise all languishing steel projects, irrespective of political considerations, and infuse Rs 500 crore to make viable three of them at Jagdishpur in UP, Bettiah in Bihar and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, Union minister Birender Singh said today.

The projects will be made operational within a time span of two months to one year, the steel minister said addressing the media on three years initiatives and achievements of his ministry.

"Several projects in the past have been announced on account of political considerations only and there are many on which no progress has been made. We have decided to operationalise these projects," he said.

He said such projects include Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh, Bettiah in Bihar and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh where very less work or no progress has been made and added that one project was announced at Raebareli.

The minister said irrespective of the political party or leader who announced such plants, work will be done on such languishing projects.

"We will invest Rs 500 crore to make these operational," the minister said adding that Jagdishpur plant can be made operational in two months time.

Former steel minister Beni Prasad Verma has earlier announced that a steel unit is being set up at Jagdishpur which will have a 13,000 tonnes per annum capacity corrugation unit and a TMT Bar mill of capacity 1,50,000 tonnes per annum.

Singh said Himachal Pradesh project will produce TMT bars, GC sheets, crash barriers and other such products.