BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to accelerate industrial growth and meet the rising demand for iron ore, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday urged mining leaseholders to enhance production capacity.
Chairing a high-level meeting with leaseholders and captains of steel industries at Lok Seva Bhawan, the chief minister expressed concern that majority of the iron ore mines operating in the state are not meeting the quantifiable minimum production targets as defined in the mining plan approved by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and incorporated into the Mines Development and Production Agreement (MDPA) for the auctioned block.
The chief minister said rapid industrialisation in the state and across the country has significantly increased the demand for iron ore while there is a mismatch in the demand and supply. He said the issue has been flagged by the Indian Steel Association (ISA).
Assuring full government support to the mining sector, the chief minister urged stakeholders to scale-up production and streamline dispatch operation in line with evolving market requirements. He encouraged leaseholders to go beyond the mandated minimum output levels wherever feasible.
Industry representatives, on the other hand, pointed out key operational constraints and bottlenecks such as environmental clearances, land availability, logistics limitations and regulatory delays. They sought greater policy support and faster clearances to bridge the gap between mandated and actual production.
On regional disparity, the chief minister said that mineral-rich districts in the state still have relatively low industrial presence. He called upon industry leaders to invest in setting up manufacturing units in these areas to ensure balanced regional development.
He also stressed development of infrastructure, healthcare, education and creation of livelihood opportunities for the local communities in the mining areas.
Majhi said the state is developing a comprehensive database on land availability for compensatory afforestation, through which the mining leaseholders and industrialists can know how much land is available in which district. The meeting was informed that the government has prepared an annual auction calendar for 2026-27 to expedite the allocation of mineral blocks and bring greater transparency and predictability to the process.
Indian Steel Association president and MP Naveen Jindal lauded the state government’s proactive approach and reaffirmed industry commitment to expanding investments in Odisha.
The meeting was attended by Tata Steel CEO and managing director TV Narendran, Alok Sahay of Indian Steel Association, JSW president Anil Kumar Singh, AM/NS India director Alok Kumar Mehta, chief secretary Anu Garg, development commissioner DK Singh and additional chief secretary, Industries Hemant Sharma among others.