Bhubaneswar: Union minister of steel Chaudhary Birender Singh sought 500 acres from the state government to set up a tool manufacturing unit in the state.
Speaking at a meet on capital goods and steel in the city jointly organised by the steel industry and the CII Tuesday, Singh said Odisha is best suited to be the steel hub of the country.
“Odisha has so much minerals that if we plan to produce 300 million tonnes (MT) of steel, one-third of that could be from the state. I hope the state government and the CM can help us achieve this target so that Odisha becomes the biggest producer of steel in the country,” he said.
Singh said the proposed tool manufacturing unit would be the second such unit in the country after Karnataka. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who was also present at the meet, spoke about the state’s natural resources and the spike in the production of steel in the state since 1990.
Minister for heavy industries and public enterprises Anant Geete said, “Indian companies have the capability to manufacture non-proprietary items and the government is committed to facilitating technological tie-ups between domestic producers and their foreign counterparts.”
He recalled that his ministry helped in building a machine tools hub in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, 38 MoUs were signed at the meet.Union minister for petroleum and natural gas, skill development and entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan said, “The Centre believes that Odisha has the potential to produce nearly 100 million tonnes of the 300 MT of steel targeted by 2030-31.”
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