Kendrapada: CM Mohan Charan Majhi will on Wednesday lay the foundation stone for JSW Utkal Steel Ltd’s proposed 13.2 mtpa greenfield integrated steel plant at Dhinkia, to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 65,000 crore.JSW chairman Sajjan Jindal, industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain, Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai and other dignitaries are expected to attend the foundation ceremony, a company official said.The project site has a long and contentious history. South Korean steel major POSCO had signed a MoU with the Odisha govt on June 22, 2005 to set up a 12 mtpa steel plant across Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gadakujang gram panchayats at a proposed cost of Rs 51,000 crore. The project ran into stiff resistance from locals, with repeated protests and clashes between agitators and police, before POSCO finally shelved it in 2015.Following POSCO’s exit, the state govt allotted the acquired land to JSW Utkal Steel Ltd for setting up a new steel plant.The JSW project, too, has faced opposition from sections of locals regarding land acquisition, alleged police action and loss of traditional betel vineyards. The company, however, has recently completed construction of a boundary wall covering around 2,950 acres, paving the way for the project’s execution.JSW Utkal Steel Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSW Steel, received environmental clearance on April 10, 2022 from the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change for the 13.2 mtpa plant.Several residents continue to oppose the project. “This forested area is known for betel, cashew and paddy cultivation. It also supports vegetables, fruits and provides forest produce, essential for our daily needs. The nearby Jatadhari river sustains 20,000-25,000 fishermen. Our livelihoods are at stake after the land was handed over to JSW,” said Pinki Das, sarpanch of Dhinkia gram panchayat.However, a section of residents has welcomed the project, citing employment opportunities. “We are happy that a steel plant is coming up here. It will generate jobs for local youths,” said Bhakta Prasad Das, a retired schoolteacher from Dhinkia.
