Central Team Appreciates Proactive Steps of Odisha Govt as Large Investment Projects Make Substantial Progress

Bhubaneswar: Large investment projects monitored under Cabinet Committee Investment Project Monitoring Group (CCI PMG), Government of India have made significant progress in Odisha with proactive resolution of the filed level issues. This was known from CCI PMG Meeting held under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra in Lokseva Bhawan Conference hall. Special Secretary Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Amrit Lal Meena, Director DPIIT Arvind Pandey with senior officers of Central PMG participated in this joint review meeting wherein the project proponents presented ground level issues for discussion.

Examining various contours of the issues flagged by the project developers, Chief Secretary Mahapatra gave necessary guidance for their resolution. Mahapatra also set timelines for implementation of different tasks relating to the resolved solutions. Concerned departments, respective district administration and project proponents were asked to adhere the timelines without fail.

Special Secretary DPIIT Meena said, “State Government has taken proactive steps for quick implementation of the projects. Out of total 165 big ticket projects being monitored through CCI PMG portal, 1032 projects (around 80%) are sailing smoothly because of the timely action of State administration. The field level problems flagged by only 33 project developers have also been substantially resolved by State and district administration”. Chief Secretary Mahapatra said, “This joint exercise has been very helpful in expeditious implementation of the large scale infrastructural and investment projects”.

The committee reviewed 33 projects from 8 sectors like railways, road and highways, oil and gas, agriculture, mines, communication, and cement. Railway Projects included Banaspani-Jakhapura doubling, Rourkela-Jharsuguda third line (102 km), Bhadrak-Nergundi third line, doubling of Hatia (Ranchi) Bondamunda line (159 km), 3rd and 4th lines between Budhapank-Salegaon (170 km), Vizianagaram-Titilagarh 3rd line (264.6 km), Smbalpur-Talcher doubling (174.11 km), Khurda-Bolangir new broad gauge link (289 km), Talcher-Bimlagarh new line, Angul-Sukhinda new line, Jharsuguda-Bilaspur fourth line (206 km), Jarpada-Budhapank with flyover at Talcher road 3rd and 4th Line, Sambalpur-Titilagarh doubling, and, Koraput-Singapur doubling.

Coal projects included coal mining projects of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited particularly, Bhubaneswari open cast, Kaniha open cast and Belpahar open cast mines. The national high way projects included 4-laning of Talcher-Chandikhole, Singara-Binjhabahal, up-gradation of Cuttack-Angul section of NH-42 (New NH-55) to 4 lane, up gradation of and 4- laning of Angul-Smbalpur section of NH-55 , up gradation of Six-laning of Bhadrak-Balasore section of NH-5 (New NH-16), up gradation and six – laning of Chandikhole-Bhadrak section 0f NH-16, 6-aning of Tangi – Bhubaneswar section of NH 16, construction of the corridor between Angul-Balaram-Putagadia-Jarapada along with the link from Putagadia to Tentuloi, and Bondamunda-Jharsuguda-flyover connection for joining down line.

The reviewed projects in Oil and gas sector included Paradip Hyderabad product pipeline project (1212 kms) and expansion of refinery-5th Stream. Mines Projects Included Utkal- D & E, and Pottangi Bauxite Mines. The cement projects included Kotametta Limestone Block for captive consumption, and Dalmia DSP, a Unit of Dalmia Cement Bharat Ltd. Agriculture sector included integrated Anandpur Barrage projects; and, Communication sector included BharatNet project of the Ministry of Communications.

The issues relating to land alienation, removal of encroachment, forest clearance, wild life clearance, construction of wild life underpass, distribution of compensation award, compensatory afforestation, shifting of utilities etc were discussed and resolved in the meeting Chief Secretary Mahapatra set timelines for filed level implementation of the decisions taken in the meeting.

Additional Chief Secretary Forest and Environment Dr Mona Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary Revenue and Disaster Management Satyabrata Sahu, Principal Secretary Commerce and Transport Bishnupada Sethi, Principal Secretary Industry Hemant Kumar Sharma, Commissioner Railway Coordination Manoj Kumar Mishra, MD IPICOL Bhupinder Singh Poonia along with Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, senior officers from concerned departments and project proponents participated in the discussion. The collectors and district officials presented the field updates in the meeting through video conferencing.