ArcellorMittal yet to submit project report

BHUBANESWAR: ArcellorMittal which has proposed to set up 12 million tonne steel plant in Keonjhar district is yet to submit the detailed project report (DPR) to the State Government because of delay in land acquisition.Steel and Mines Minister Raghunath Mohanty informed this to the members while replying to a question from Subarna Nayak (BJD) in the Assembly on Wednesday. He said as the land identified for the steel plant of ArcellorMittal in Patna tahasil falls under the scheduled area, land acquisition needs the sanction of gram sabha. He said the process has been delayed as the gram sabhas have not met in all the identified areas. Out of the 15 revenue villages in the project area, gram sabhas have been held in only five villages. The Minister said the State Government has asked the Keonjhar District Collector to take steps for holding the gram sabhas in rest of the villages. The State Government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ArcellorMittal on December 21, 2006 for establishment of the steel plant.SISL AND UGSL: The projects of Sterlite Iron and Steel Limited (SISL) and Uttam Galva Steels Limited (UGSL) have also not progressed. SISL has requested the State Government to transfer the management of the proposed project Sesa Goa, the Minister said and added that it is under consideration. The SISL had signed MoU with the State Government on October 15, 2004. The UGSL had signed an MoU with the State Government for establishment of the plant on October 13, 2006, he said. The Minister said 10 companies had signed MoUs with the State  Government for establishment of steel plants in Keonjhar district. Out of this, six companies have started full or partial production while one has started construction work.Companies which have started production, include Orissa Sponge Iron and Steel Limited, Sree Metaliks Limited, Deepak Steel and Power Limited and Patnaik Steel and Alloys Limited. Beekay Steel and Power Limited and Crackers India Alloys Limited have started production of sponge iron while Brand Alloys Limited is yet to start production.