BHUBANESHWAR: In a major boost to the proposed JSW-POSCO joint venture in Keonjhar district, the collector has already approved handover of 99 acre government land to the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) for the project.
In a written reply to the Assembly, minister for Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education Sampad Chandra Swain said JSW Steel Limited has got the nod of the High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) for a 6 MTPA greenfield steel plant in Patna block of the district.
"The steel plant will be set up with an investment of Rs 35,000 crore. The project approved by the HLCA in March this year is expected to create 8,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities," he stated in his reply to a question by former minister and BJD MLA Badri Narayan Patra.
The minister said the district administration has already been appraised about the upcoming project and application has been submitted through Idco for acquisition of 979.62 acre government land and 1,465.92 acre private land in 12 villages under Patna tehsil.
"Of the identified government land, the collector has initially cleared the proposal to hand over a land parcel of 99.09 acre," Swain informed.
Sources said the state government is planning to acquire only agricultural land with no displacement issues and to avoid inhabited areas for faster land acquisition. Idco has already filed the land acquisition proposal in respect of private land. The environment clearance for the project will be applied soon, sources added.
After JSW Group and POSCO signed an MoU in October last year to set up an integrated steel plant in India, the Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Group inked a pact with the state government during the Utkarsh Odisha conclave in January for the project in Keonjhar.
In August, the two steel majors had signed a non-binding heads of agreement (HoA) to jointly explore setting up an integrated steel plant and synergies in battery materials and renewable energy.
