Anil Agarwal’s VedantaBSE -5.03 % Ltd’s Rs 1,240 crore proposal to expand capacity of its aluminium smelter unit at Jharsuguda in Odisha to 1.8 mmtpa has been recommended for final approval to a high level clearance authority headed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
The recommendation to expand the smelter capacity from 1.6 mmtpa was made by a State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) on Thursday.
The expansion programme is likely to create additional jobs for 800 people, state’s principal secretary for industry Sanjeev Chopra said.
“”The government of Odisha in its Single Window Clearance Authority meeting recommended the capacity expansion proposal of Vedanta Limited’s Jharsuguda plant to the High Level Clearance Authority. The plant proposes to expand its capacity from 1.6 MMTPA to 1.8 MMTPA post which it will be among the 6 largest single-location aluminium plants globally.
This not only augurs well for Vedanta but also for the state of Odisha that is welcoming investors to build large-scale manufacturing projects,” Chopra said.
Odisha approved four investment proposals worth Rs 1,495 crore during the 77th meeting of the SLSWCA held under chairmanship of chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, which will help create new employment opportunities for 1,230 people.
ITC Limited’s food processing unit at Khurda also received approval to expand its product line. The construction work of the unit is currently in progress. The expansion of the project would entail additional investment of Rs 63 crore and create direct and indirect jobs for 100 more people.
The SLSWCA also accorded approval to a food processing company to set up a fruit-based beverage manufacturing unit at an investment of Rs 140 crore. The unit has been proposed in Khurda district and envisages creation of employment for 150 people.
Another Rs 52 crore proposal by a wires and cables maker to set up a greenfield 30,000 tonnes per annum capcity aluminium conductors and cables manufacturing unit at Angul Aluminium Park was approved at the meeting.
Of the 124 investment intents received during the investors’ meets organised in 2016 at Mumbai, Bengaluru and in the Make in Odisha Conclave 2016, the state government has received and approved firm proposals for 76 projects worth Rs 2.02 lakh crore.
Prasanta Patnaik 
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