Pradhan seeks commerce minister's intervention to restart Rs 100 cr project in Odisha

Union Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has sought "personal intervention" of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to restart a Rs 100-crore project in his home state of Odisha.

In a letter, he has also asked his ministerial colleague to review the work done so far on the project to upgrade infrastructure at the Angul aluminium park in Odisha. The improvement project was dropped citing slow progress.

"Keeping in mind our government's commitment to developing the mineral sector in Odisha and boost state's economy, I request your personal intervention in directing concerned officials of your (Commerce and Industry) ministry to under take review of the work done...and restart the project for upgradation of infrastructure at aluminium park," Pradhan, who is also minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, said.

Apprising Goyal about the project, he said under the Modified Industrial Infrastructure Up-gradation Scheme (MIIUS) notified by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) a project for up-gradation of infrastructure at Angul aluminium park was accorded approval in August 2015 with an estimated cost of Rs 99.60 crore including a central grant of 33.44 crore.

An agency Angul Aluminium Park Private Ltd (AAPPL) was also constituted to implement the project.

"But the apex committee of MIIUS in its meeting held November last year has dropped the project due to slow progress and has directed AAPPL to refund the central grant," he said.

The minister has also made a request to restore the central assistance for the project.

The Angul aluminium park, spread across 223 acres, is dedicated for downstream and ancillary industries in the aluminium sector.

The government has already received many investment proposals for the Aluminium Park in Angul and the project would create around 15,000 job opportunities, Pradhan said.