BHUBANESWAR /JAJPUR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday unveiled 46 medium and large industrial projects involving an estimated investment of Rs 39,383 crore.
The projects, spread across 14 districts, span steel and metals, renewable energy, food processing, tourism, hospitality and other sectors. They are expected to generate 42,512 jobs.
Addressing a mega groundbreaking and inauguration ceremony at Kalinganagar in Jajpur district, Majhi described the projects as a ‘golden chapter’ in the state’s second industrial revolution and asserted that Odisha was on course to emerge as the country’s leading manufacturing hub. “What we commit, we complete. We are moving from MoUs to reality, from intent to investment and from investment to production,” Majhi said.
The ceremony saw the inauguration and launch of several projects by Jindal Stainless Ltd (JSL), Tata Steel, Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA), Jatia Steel Ltd, BK Utkal Steel and Shree M K Steel. “Before our government came to power, industrial investment remained largely a slogan and a means of publicity. We have translated MoUs into reality, built factories, commenced production and created employment opportunities for Odia youths,” the chief minister said.
In less than two years, the state government has inaugurated projects or laid foundation stones for 151 projects involving investments of over Rs 3.11 lakh crore, with the potential to generate more than 2.4 lakh jobs, he said. With Wednesday’s projects, the total value of industrial projects grounded in the state has crossed Rs 3.5 lakh crore, he added.
The government has also approved 560 industrial proposals involving investments of more than Rs 12.07 lakh crore, with the potential to generate around seven lakh jobs, Majhi said.
“The government is prioritising labour- intensive sectors such as textiles, apparel, food processing and pharmaceuticals to reduce distress migration among young people seeking employment outside Odisha,” he said.
Welcoming investors, Majhi said the government was providing support throughout the project life cycle, from the proposal stage to the grounding of projects. The single-window system and the new industrial policy had made the approval process simpler and more transparent, he said.
Taking a swipe at the Opposition, the chief minister said, “While the Opposition is busy with politics, our government is busy with Odisha’s progress and development.”
Cooperation, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts minister Pradeep Bal Samanta said Jajpur’s mineral resources and industrial infrastructure would drive further growth in the district.
Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education minister Sampad Chandra Swain said the government was focusing not only on attracting industries but also on equipping young people with the skills required by modern industries.
Earlier, the chief minister held oneon- one interactions with industry captains and participated in a roundtable discussion with CEOs where additional chief secretary of the Industries department Hemant Sharma presented the project details.
Jajpur MP Rabindra Narayan Behera, MLAs Akash Das Nayak, Himanshu Sekhar Sahu and Amar Nayak, chief secretary Anu Garg, JSL managing director Abhyuday Jindal and IMFA managing director Subhrakant Panda were present.