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Tata Steel said the Phalin cyclone and floods thereafter in Ganjam district has caused a setback to the company’s project in Gopalpur, where it planned to set up an industrial park.
As the anchor tenant of the park, the company had started construction work for a ferrochrome and steel bar plant in the area. The commissioning of these projects may be delayed, it feared. “Gopalpur project has suffered a setback due to the recent cyclone and flood in the area as all our offices there have been damaged. But we will continue construction of our ferrochrome plant there,” said H M Nerurkar, managing director of Tata Steel, after his meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here today.
TV Narendran, who is set to take over as new MD of Tata Steel on November 1, accompanied Nerurkar. Nerurkar said, the company’s Kalinganagar steel plant work is on track and the first phase of the project comprising three million tonne capacity will be ready by November-December, 2013. “Law and order situation in Kalinganagar has been peaceful,” he added. The proposed industrial park at Gopalpur is coming up over an area of 2,800 acre land.
The company is currently building necessary infrastructure on 400 acre area. The park is expected to attract investments of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 crore and could generate employment for around 10,000 people.
Tata Steel, in its role as anchor investor, will invest Rs 1,000 crore for a 50,000 tonne a year high carbon ferrochrome plant and 400,000 tonne per year rebar steel mill. It has already procured several equipment for the project. Further orders have been placed for more equipment.
