Patana: The groundwork has finally begun for establishment of a much-awaited mega steel plant in Keonjhar district. The state-owned Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) has initiated steps to set up the plant after withdrawal of ArcelorMittal from the project owing to opposition. As part of the process, the company has sent a letter to the Water Resources department requesting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the tehsil for identified land. This step is expected to facilitate land acquisition for the project. Reports indicate that Keonjhar district holds an estimated 2.555 million tonnes of iron ore. However, the mineral is exported due to the absence of a major steel plant in the district. In 2006, under the then BJD-led government, ArcelorMittal had signed an agreement to set up a steel plant in Patana tehsil. However, the company withdrew in 2012 due to stiff opposition. After Mohan Charan Majhi became Odisha’s Chief Minister, he announced plans to establish a mega steel plant in Keonjhar.
Subsequently, 12 villages under Chemena RI Circle and Kantiapada RI Circle in Patana tehsil have been identifi ed for the initial phase of land acquisition. The proposed land spans across multiple villages, including Chemena, Bhrungarajpashi, Chilida, Angikala, Dhanurjaypur, Baradangua, Baliapashi, and Rengalabada under Jamunapashi, Godipokhari, Kodakhaman, Barudipashi panchayats. IDCO has identified 1,497.835 acre private land within these two circles and has applied for an NOC from officials, including the executive engineers of minor and lift irrigation, as well as the chief manager of the Baitarani basin.
Notably, 2,500 acre land is required for the steel plant. Of this, 1,498 acre private agricultural and fallow lands have been identified in these two panchayats, while 901 acre government land and 91 acre rural forest land have been preliminarily marked, with the Revenue department submitting a proposal to IDCO. The 1,498 acre private land has agricultural land but no homestead land. The identified land includes 76.580 acre in Jamunapashi, 230.795 acre in Angikala, 55.330 acre in Dhanurjaypur, 52.390 acre in Rengalabada, 17 acre in Chemena, 29.610 acre in Bhrungarajpashi, 238.430 acre in Baradangua, 214.980 acre in Barudipashi, 210.380 acre in Chilida, 148.230 acre in Kodakhman, 145.120 acre in Godipokhari and 75.770 acre in Baliapashi.
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Additionally, 3 acre and 22 decimal forest land in the 12 villages has also been identified. Apart from this, the land of Taramakanta tea garden acquired from Bansapal is also under consideration. The government has kept land in Patana block’s Chinamalipashi and Sadanga Bahali as secondary and tertiary options for the project. Deputy Collector Firoz Khan confi rmed that the land identifi – cation process for the proposed steel plant is underway.
