Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) on Thursday signed an MoU with Hindalco Industries for providing long -term raw material linkage for its project at Kansariguda in Rayagada district.
OMC MD Balwant Singh and Hindalco MD Satish Pai signed the agreement, which will facilitate and speed up the work for a two-million tonne alumina refinery in Rayagada, in presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Speaking on the occasion, the CM said this marks a significant milestone in the journey of Odisha’s industrial growth and development. “Odisha is poised to become an industrial hub of the East, and this is not just our ambition but our mission. My government in June came up with a new Long-Term Linkage Policy of Minerals for Industries, facilitated through the OMC. This policy was a commitment to foster an environment where industries can thrive, innovate, and contribute to the state’s socio-economic fabric. This MoU exemplifies our unwavering dedication to making Odisha a magnet for industrial investments,” he said.
He further informed that Alumina Refinery of Aditya Aluminum Limited at Kanshariguda is a green field project coming up with an investment of Rs 8000 crore. “The project will create one thousand direct jobs, and four thousand indirect employment opportunities. This is the transformative power of industry,” he said.
Naveen thanked the Aditya Birla Group for believing in the potential of Odisha and appealed the people of Rayagada to provide all support to the refinery project, so that work can start soon and make visible changes in the life of the locals.
Industries & MSME MinisterPratap Dev said that the partnership of the people is essential for industries. “Under the vision of the CM, Odisha is committed to the development of tribal people in mines rich area. Inclusivity is a must in industrialisation,” he emphasised.
Joining the MoU signing ceremony through video conferencing, Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said Odisha-Hindalco partnership is a symbiotic success story and an exemplar for holistic development. “The Utkal Alumina plant generated thousands of new jobs, and impacted lakhs of people in hundreds of villages through community development initiatives. The second refinery will follow the same development model, seeding more opportunities in livelihoods and cascading more socio-economic development,” he said.
Chief Secretary PK Jena, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Secretary to CM (5-T) VK Pandian and Principal Secretary Industries Hemant Sharma were also present. The people of Kansariguda also joined the programme on virtual platform, a CMO release said.
