BHUBANESWAR: The State Government’s push for setting up an aluminium park at Angul to attract investments and create job opportunities received a blow as the Centre dropped the project citing no visible progress due to resentment by locals.
Responding to an unstarred question in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday said the Apex Committee has decided to drop the project due to dismal progress and directed the Implementing Agency to refund the released Central grant.
Elaborating on the project, he said, the project for up-gradation of infrastructure at Angul Aluminum Park was accorded ‘final approval’ on August 18, 2015 at an estimated cost of Rs 99.6 crore, including Central grant of Rs 33.44 crore under Modified Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (MIIUS).
The project was to be implemented within two years from the date of approval. Progress of the project was reviewed at various review meetings and it was found to be very slow.
Further, the implementing agency - Angul Aluminium Park Private Limited (AAPPL) informed that there was no progress in the project due to resentment by locals.
The Project Management Agency, on physical verification of the project, reported that overall physical progress was about 7 pc, Goyal informed.
Spread over an area of 223 acre, the Angul Aluminium Park was to be the first project in the subcontinent with a facility to directly obtain molten aluminium from the smelter.
Initially planned near Nalco smelter plant, it was to be developed as a complete industrial state-of-the-art entity, fully equipped with logistics infrastructure facility, an exclusive training centre, a park administration and a display and trade services facility.
The Minister informed that a proposal from Odisha Government to restore Central assistance to the Aluminium Cluster at Angul under MIIUS has been received. “The proposal will be placed before the Apex Committee for final approval,” Goyal added.