Tatas for SEZ status to Gopalpur land: Ratan Tata

Bhubaneswar, Sept 7: Tata Group Chairman Ratan N Tata has favoured the land at Gopalpur acquired for Steel plant in the past be designated as Special Economic Zone(SEZ) for the development of the area.

The Tatas had acquired nearly 3500 acres of land in Gopalpur in Orissa's Ganjam district in 1990s to set up a 10 million tonnes Steel Plant. The company had a vision to set up 3 million tonne steel plant during the first phase with an investment of nearly Rs 7,500 crores.

The project, however, went into rough weather due to stiff resistance by the locals who opposed the land acquisition for the project forcing the company to abandon the idea and switched over to Kalinga Nagar to set up a 6 million tonnes steel plant.

The Tata Group Chairman said they had proposed to the centre to set up SEZ in the land acquired by them and disclosed that one of their companies was looking at the feasibility of the project.

Mr Tata, who was here in connection with the inauguration of the Smart Businss Hotel-Ginger and the TCS development Centre, told newsmen that he was in favour of the policy of the state government which encouraged value addition to the iron-ores.

He said more beneficiation plants should be set up in the state to convert low grade iron ore into high grade ore. He also opined that the iron ores should not be exported from the state.

To a question, the Investment Commission Chairman said all the major industrial houses such as POSCO,Reliance,Tata Steel were serious in their projects in Orissa.

Mr Tata said he had discussed the various issues relating to the investment on various projects in the state with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and hoped that certain projects could be sorted out through negotiation and clarification.

He further said some projects had been slowed down which should be taken up adding that the Investment Commission could only act as facilitator as it had no power to expedite the matter.

The Tata Group Chairman said by 2008 nearly one lakh small car would be produced to cater the needs of the young Indians besides the middle and lower middle class people.

UNI