Steel minister HD Kumaraswamy announced that the expansion project of the IISCO Steel Plant (ISP), Burnpur is moving rapidly on Monday, as part of his three-day visit to West Bengal, emphasising that federal cooperation is essential to national industrial goals.
As part of his visit, Kumaraswamy inaugurated a newly-constructed reinforced cement concrete (RCC) water reservoir with a storage capacity of 84,000 cubic metres, developed to meet the water requirements of COB-10 while also supporting the future 4.08 MTPA Expansion Project at IISCO Steel Plant on Sunday.
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The minister highlighted the accelerated progress at the Burnpur facility as a key step in boosting India’s steel manufacturing goals to produce 300 million tonnes per annum by 2030-31, under India’s National Steel Policy (NSP).
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India’s current crude steel manufacturing capacity is about 151 million tonnes.
Huge investments of around Rs 80,000 crore of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) are lined up for Burnpur and Durgapur as per the NSP.
During the visit, Agnimitra Paul, minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, called on the Union minister at the steel plant. The two leaders discussed the importance of stronger Centre-state coordination in accelerating industrial development, strengthening the steel sector, attracting investments and generating employment opportunities.
The Union minister had an extensive review of the ISP, Burnpur, one of the country’s oldest and most significant integrated steel plants of SAIL on Sunday.
He began his visit with an inspection of the COB-12 (stamp charge coke oven battery) project, one of the flagship capacity augmentation initiatives at IISCO. Senior officials briefed him on the progress of the project, including the battery proper, coke dry cooling plant (CDQ), by-product plant and advanced environmental protection systems.
“India’s journey towards becoming a global steel powerhouse depends not only on expanding capacity but also on building modern, sustainable and technologically advanced steel plants. Every strategic investment we make today strengthens the foundation of a self-reliant India,” the minister said.
The minister described the RCC project as an important step towards sustainable industrial infrastructure. “Resource efficiency and environmental responsibility must go hand in hand with industrial growth,” he observed.
The meeting was attended by SAIL Chairman and Managing Director Ashok Kumar Panda, the Director In-Charge of IISCO Steel Plant and Durgapur Steel Plant, Surajit Mishra and other top officials of SAIL.
On 17 July, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is set to inaugurate the Rs 15,000-crore expansion projects of Shyam Steel in Mejia of Bankura district, which will be the biggest private sector investment in steel sector after the new BJP government took charge in the state.
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