ROURKELA: Facing land hurdles, the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of SAIL is staring at losing the Rs 30,000 crore expansion project to Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) in West Bengal.
Officials said a meeting chaired by the Union steel secretary on April 15 has reportedly resolved to allot the expansion package to the DSP in the event of RSP failing to get land clearance by end of this month.
The meeting decided that if Odisha government initiates removal of unauthorised occupants from the land identified for RSP expansion in April, the modernisation plan of RSP shall be placed for approval before the SAIL board in May. Otherwise, a proposal for Greenfield expansion at DSP shall be submitted for approval of the board within the same timeline.
Sources said this is the last expansion package of SAIL in its ongoing proposal of reaching 35.65 MTPA by 2030-31 at an investment of around Rs 1.05 lakh crore. If RSP loses the opportunity, it would likely result in an economic blow for Rourkela and its neighbourhood.
Meanwhile on Sunday, RN Pali MLA Durga Charan Tanti held a meeting with Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) commissioner and ADM Deenah Dastageer, RSP executive director (HR) Tarun Mishra and people likely to be affected by the proposed expansion project. The meeting was largely aimed at apprising the affected people about the proposed package of RSP for them and reaching an amicable settlement.
Mishra said RSP’s growth is directly linked to the growth of Rourkela city. “We hope to remove the land hurdles and start work on the expansion project soon,” he added.
Dastageer said the administration received the suggestions of the affected people. “We hope to reach an amicable settlement.”
RSP envisages to enhance its hot metal production capacity from the present 4.65 MTPA to 9.80 MTPA at a cost of over Rs 30,000 crore. For this, it requires removal of encroachment from around 1,200 acre of its land at Barkani and Jharmunda villages. The identified land was technically acquired over six decades ago, but physical possession is yet to be taken. About 300 hutments have been identified for removal with the RSP records stating that these are unauthorised structures.
The RSP’s package offers about Rs 5.16 lakh for each hutment towards costs for structure, house building and relocation, along with 650 square feet of developed and plotted land. Each square feet is valued at Rs 2,760. Besides, one member of each affected family would get contractual job in RSP till attaining the age of 60 years.