Bhubaneswar, June 12: Tata Group’s future head, Cyrus Pallonji Mistry, today called on chief minister Naveen Patnaik at the state secretariat to discuss the company’s projects in Odisha.
On his maiden visit to the state, Mistry, who will take over the reins of the group from Ratan Tata in December, was accompanied by senior company officials, including Tata Steel managing director H.M. Nerurkar, at the hour-long meeting.
Mistry, however, refused to divulge details, describing his visit as more of a “courtesy call” than a business meeting. “We discussed Odisha projects,” was his laconic reply when asked about the specifics of the meeting.
Nerurkar said Mistry, currently deputy chairman of Tata Sons, visited some of the group’s projects in the state before calling on the chief minister. “He was happy with the progress of these projects,” said Nerurkar.
Mistry’s visit assumes significance in view of the Tata group’s business stakes in the state, its latest project being the six million tonne steel plant at Kalinga Nagar in Jajpur district.
“We are expecting the Kalinga Nagar steel plant project to be commissioned by March 2014,” said Nerurkar, adding that its commissioning would mark the realisation of a long-standing dream.
Tata Steel had signed an MoU with the state government on November 17, 2004, for establishment of a six million tonne steel plant at Kalinga Nagar for Rs 15,600 crore. However, the project remained a non-starter for years following the police firing on January 2, 2006, in which 14 tribal people were killed.
Nerurkar said: “We have just signed an expression of interest for establishment of a six million tonne steel plant in Karnataka. Let’s see what happens.”
On the industrial park project being set up in Gopalpur, he said they had obtained the SEZ and environmental clearance. “We are awaiting the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance from the state government,” he said.
Tata Steel is anchoring an investment of Rs 1,000 crore on a 50,000 tonne per annum ferrochrome plant and four lakh tonne per annum rebar steel mill in the proposed industrial park in Gopalpur.
Construction of the boundary wall was over and work on the two plants would begin once the clearances were obtained, said Nerurkar.
Earlier during the day, senior state government officials reviewed the progress of these two projects. The review revealed that the six million tonne Kalinga Nagar steel project was on track and the first phase (three million tonne) was likely to be commissioned by March 2014.
More than Rs 10,000 crore has been invested in the project so far and orders worth Rs 18,000 crore placed. The project cost had been revised from Rs 15,600 crore to Rs 34,500 crore, official sources said.
Chief secretary Bijay Patnaik, who reviewed the project, said some land related issues had been discussed. “Steps are being taken to sort out these problems,” he said.
Official sources said that though the company has been allotted 3,400 acres, it has not been able to take possession of around 1,000 acres because of opposition by the displaced people. The progress of the industrial park project being anchored by the Tata Group in Gopalpur was also reviewed today.
The industrial park is being developed over around 3,000 acres acquired in 1995 for establishment of a port-based steel plant. In December 1995, then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao laid the foundation stone for the project. However, the project could not be taken off because of stiff resistance from the local people.
With a change of time, the industrial park is being set up on the same patch of land with the support of local people.
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