51 steel companies sign MoU in Orissa - Minister

Bhubaneswar, Mar 29 (UNI) As many as 51 steel companies have signed MoU with the Orissa government for setting up of mineral-based industries in the state, Steel and Mines Minister Padmanav Behera told the Assembly.

Out of the 51 MoUs, 46 steel plants were now in force and five MoUs had been cancelled, Mr Behera said in a written reply to BJD member Ranendra Pratap Swain.

He said 42 steel plants have the iron ore linkage, while the rest five were without any iron ore lease linkage.

To another question by BJP member Sanchita Mohanty, he said out of 46 steel plants in force, 24 steel plants had started partial production of total four million tonne sponge iron, 0.60 million ton of pig iron and 0.95 million tonne of steel.

These steel plants together had paid 24,285.17 lakh tax to the state and 51,188.94 lakh central tax providing 6,110 direct employment and 12,527 indirect employment.

UNI