Naveen Patnaik urges Tata Group to set up defence manufacturing cluster

About 1,500 land oustees, who lost their land for the steel plant seven years back, were engaged as construction workers for Kalinga Nagar steel plant by Tata Steel and assured permanent employment in the facility once it is commissioned. It is indeed a great pleasure to dedicate this plant to the State of Odisha today.

Tata Steel, the flagship company of the Tata group is the first integrated steel plant in Asia and is now the world’s second most geographically diversified steel producer and a Fortune 500 Company.

Built at an investment of over Rs.25,000 crore in the first phase, the Kalinganagar plant boasts of India’s largest blast furnace at 4,330 cubic meter with production capacity of 3.2 MTPA, the company said. “I am confident that the plant will achieve global benchmarks in steel production, and at the same time will remain committed to growth and development of the State of Odisha”. “At the same place, Tata’s multi-product special economic zone is expected attract Rs.10,000 crore investment from the country and outside” said Tata Sons Chairman. At least 13 tribals were killed in police firing in 2006. Mr Patnaik said an area of 800 acres has been kept for industrial development at Naraj and Tata Power can consider setting up a Defence Electronics Manufacturing Cluster as they have done in Bangalore.

“In the first phase, Rs 25,000 crore has been spent by Tata Steel (on the Kalinganagar project), creating direct employment opportunity for 3,000 people and indirect employment for 22,000 people”, he said.

Tata Steel on Wednesday took a step towards beginning a new chapter by dedicating its Kalinganagar Steel plant to the State of Odisha. Initially, iron ore from Joda mines will cater to the plant’s first phase requirement till 2017.

Among others, industries minister Debi Prasad Mishra, chief secretary GC Pati, R Balkrishnan, additional chief secretary( finance), T V Narendran, managing director, Tata Steel, W Hussain of Tata Sons, Tata Steel Group ED Koushik Chatterjee, N Chandrashekharan, chief executive officer, TCS and several other Tata officials were present at the meeting.