Even as a number of industrial projects are facing a host of problems, the project monitoring group of the Union Cabinet secretariat on Friday said the State Government has taken expeditious steps for implementation of large projects in steel, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors.
“We are happy that the State Government has taken proactive steps for expeditious implementation of linear projects in steel, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors.
The progress of many of the projects reviewed has been satisfactory,” said Anil Swaroop, Additional Secretary, after a high level meeting here.
The State Government has also taken steps to strike a balance between industrial progress and environment protection, he added. A 16-member delegation, led by Swaroop, discussed with Chief Secretary J K Mohapatra and other top officials of the State Government the impediments in the way of big ticket projects.
The progress of 22 large projects in sectors like steel, manufacturing, infrastructure, power and coal mining were reviewed.
The projects of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL), Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd, Aditya Aluminium Ltd as well as some key railway projects like Paradip-Haridaspur, Angul-Sukinda and Talcher-Bimlagarh were taken up for review.
Swaroop said there are problems of land acquisition and lack of ore linkages for steel projects. But the State Government has proceeded substantially on land acquisition.
The other area of concern is forest clearance, diversion of forest land, resettlement and rehabilitation of project-affected families.
The Central team took note of the statutory clearances pending at the Central level for disposal and assured the State Government of early disposal of the cases pending there.
“If required, we will come again after a month to discuss the status of large projects,” he said. While IOCL’s 15 mn tonne refinery at Paradip, taken up at an investment of Rs 29,777 cr, is facing law and order situation, another IOCL project __ Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur LPG pipeline, has been delayed as no-objection certificate for forest clearance is yet to be provided.
Also, the oil marketing firm’s Paradip-Raipur-Ranchi pipeline entailing an investment of Rs 1,793 cr is encountering delay in getting the Stage-II forest clearance and law and order issues. The JSPL, which is setting up a 6 mtpa steel plant and a 900 MW captive power plant (CPP) near Angul, is confronting local resistance over the laying of water pipelines.
Among the railway projects, the Rs 1,000-cr Paradip-Haridaspur rail project has been delayed since the application for Stage-I forest clearance is yet to be submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). Similarly, Stage-I forest clearance is held up for Talcher-Bimlagarh rail link.