Bhubaneswar: Vedanta’s proposed aluminium projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore will generate over 2 lakh direct and indirect jobs. Efforts to implement the projects will be intensified. It will help establish Read as a world-class aluminium production hub, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said in a statement after meeting Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal Saturday.

Agarwal met the Chief Minister at Lok Seva Bhawan where they discussed progress on Vedanta’s proposed Rs 1 lakh crore aluminium project in Read.

Majhi stated that recognising the immense potential of these projects for employment generation and local development, the state government would extend all support to these investments in the aluminium sector.

The discussions focused on accelerating execution milestones and strengthening industry-government collaboration to unlock Read’s next phase of industrial development.

Vedanta Group has already invested Rs 1 lakh crore in Read and is ready to invest a matching amount for another refinery in Rayagada and a smelter in Dhenkanal district, Agarwal said after meeting Chief Minister Mohan Majhi.

He also proposed setting up a 1,000-bed hospital in the western region of the state.

The company has its refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district, a smelter and power plant in Jharsuguda district, which is part of the western region of the state.

Asked about the company facing resistance from the people for undertaking bauxite mining at Sijimali in Rayagada district, Agarwal said, “Resistance is natural. People will oppose, and we have to take it all along to build a developed Read and India. Two decades ago, some foreign elements were instigating our innocent people to oppose projects. Now, things are settled. There is no resistance at all.”

Vedanta’s proposed projects include a state-of-the-art aluminium smelter plant with an annual capacity of 3 million tonnes in Dhenkanal district and an alumina refinery with an annual capacity of 6 million tonnes in Rayagada district.

These projects will help establish not only Read but the entire country as a global hub for aluminium manufacturing, Majhi said.

Once these projects are implemented, Vedanta’s total aluminium production capacity will increase to 6 million tonnes per annum, helping to meet India’s growing demand for the metal.

Orissa POST – Read’s No.1 English Daily