Naveen for ore linkages to steel plant

Bhubaneswar, Jun 18 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today directed the Steel and Mines department to take necessary steps to provide ore linkages to the Steel Plants already started commercial production in the state.

Mr Patnaik, who reviewed the progress of steel plants at a high level meeting here, asked the department to expedite the work so that the steel plants, which had entered into commercial production, would face no problem in getting the raw materials.

Over 46 business houses had already signed MoU with the Orissa government to set up Steel plants in the state out of which at least steel plants were in advanced stage with as many as 16 of them commencing commercial production.

Official sources said the of the 16 steel plants,the state government had so far recommended mining lease in favour of five steel companies only.

The Chief Minister, however, directed the department to ensure that the litigation and other hurdles in recommending the mines in favour of the rest eleven steel plants be resolved within three months.

The state government also decided to evolve some sort of mechanism to regulate the sale of ore by the private parties to these steel plant so that the companies would not be subjected to harassment, high rate and unnecessary delay in procuring the ores for commercial production.

UNI