Jindals to set up steel plant in Salboni

Midnapore, Nov 1 (UNI) The Jindals have decided to set up their Integrated Steel Plant in Salboni instead of Guptamoni in West Midnapore District.

After a day-long visit in areas between Midnapore Town and Salboni with representatives of the District Magistrate Midnapore they told District Magistrate Bhabani Prashad Barat that they have finally earmarked 6000 acres of land between Midnapore town and Salboni for the plant.

The District Magistrate said state Industries Minister Nirupam Sen is coming to Midnapore tomorrow to announce the project.

In an interview with UNI, Anunay Kumar, Director, Business Development of JSW Steel Ltd and leader of the 3-member team for selection of land said they have preferred to select the plots that were mostly Government Land.

"Most of the 6000 acres of land lying on the left side of the railway line between Midnapore town and Salboni on a 25 Kilometer stretch are Government lands. We do not want a Singur type of disturbance here and we prefer not to disturb human habitats and greeneries for the plant," Mr Kumar said.

He said the estimated cost of the project would be Rs 35,000 crore with an annual turnover of 10 million tons.

Direct employment would be to the tune of 10,000 and indirect employment due to the project would be four times more, Mr Kumar said. Flat and Non-flat types of Steel would be produced in the plant.

Iron ore would be available from the neighbouring Jharkhand and some foreign countries and coal supply would be available from the Bengal Coal Plants, Mr Kumar added.

The District Magistrate said the plot of lands selected by JSW Steel Ltd would be handed over by the district authorities to the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and they would be fixing up prices and hand it over to JSW.

The District Magistrate said the Guptamoni Site under Jhargram Sub-Division was not suitable for being handed over to the JSW Steel Ltd as the Kalaikunda Air-Force rejected this on security reasons.

He added that lands selected by the JSW in Salboni areas would not pose any difficulty as most of these were Government lands and were totally barren.

As the area was under Paschimanchal Unnayan Parishad, the minister concerned Susanta Ghosh would be present in the tomorrow's meeting in Midnapore Circuit House along with the State Industries Minister.

UNI XC TJP RN1910