Govt move to boost industry, jobs and save environment

RANCHI: The state government is working on a plan to promote industrialization, generate employment and at the same time protect the environment from hazardous iron ore fines.
The government is also working on a plan to give a fixed incentive to the companies, including existing steel units, which will set up new pelletization plant in Jharkhand.
Chief secretary S K Chaudhary said a proposal had been sent to the government for consideration to give incentive to companies which will set up pelletization plants."The decision will save the environment from polluting iron ore fines and also generate employment. At the same time, it will also fetch revenue to the state due to value addition within the state itself," said the official. "We are considering different factors, including cost of setting up a pelletization plant, revenue and employment generation. Based on all the factor taken into account, the state will decide on the incentive," said Chaudhary.
He hinted that since resources at the government's disposal are limited, the incentive may not be very high.
Sources in mining and industry departments said the step has been taken by the state government as part of its effort to prevent export of iron ore fine.
"There was mounting pressure on the state government from all quarters, including political parties, to ban export of iron ore fines from the state," said sources, adding this is the reason why the government has recently announced a blanket ban on iron fine measuring more than 10 mm.
Chief minister Arjun Munda has also taken up the matter of ban on export of iron ore fines by the Centre.
Interestingly, the government recently gave permission to three major steel producing companies Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Tata Steel and Usha Martin as all of them have captive iron ore mines in the state, to export fine. There was huge uproar in the assembly on the decision of the state government to allow export without value addition.