AM/NS Steel Project Remains in Odisha: Minister

Bhubaneswar, Nov 4 (PTI) Odisha Industries minister Sampad Swain on Monday said ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) was "not shifting" its proposed mega steel plant from the state.

The minister accused the opposition BJD of misleading the people by alleging that the AM/NS was shifting its proposed project from Odisha.

"There is no possibility of AM/NS withdrawing from Odisha. We have taken two review meetings where the company showed interest in the project. About 200 company officials both from India and Japan are working on the Odisha project," Swain said.

The minister said AM/NS has been imparting skill training to 60 diploma engineers from Kendrapara district to engage them in the upcoming project.

"AM/NS is a big steel company and they have about 50 steel plants across the world. Their plan to set up another project in any state does not mean that they are withdrawing from here," the minister said.

Besides taking steps to set up the proposed project in Kendrapada, the company has also announced to establish another major steel plant of 7mtpa in Paradip.

The Industries minister also claimed that several companies which had scrapped their projects in Odisha during the previous BJD regime are now coming back after the BJP formed government in the state.

The AM/NS had signed a MoU with the state government to set up a 24 mtpa greenfield mega steel facility in Odisha's Kendrapara district at an investment of Rs 1.02 lakh crore which will be bigger than POSCO's 23 MTPA steel mill at Gwangyang in South Korea, the world's largest.

Former Odisha minister and senior BJD leader Pratap Jena told reporters that former chief minister Naveen Patnaik had visited Japan and held talks with the chairman of Nippon and made efforts to set up the biggest steel plant in Kendrapara. "However, the project is now moving to Andhra Pradesh which is unfortunate", Jena said.

"The project, which was supposed to generate a lot of revenue for the state and employment for thousands of youths, is being shifted from Odisha due to an inefficient government in the state," Jena said.

Meanwhile, a senior executive of the AM/NS on Monday said that the company has no such intention to drop the 24 MTPA steel plant planned in Odisha's Kendrapara district.

The company official said the AM/NS has been exploring investment opportunities as various locations to further expand its business.

He said required formalities for the Kendrapara project are in different levels of government approvals.