Land for textile project: CM Naveen Patnaik's help sought again

BHUBANESWAR: With Indian Oil Corporation not getting timely response and cooperation from the State Government for some of its investment proposals including the textile project at Bhadrak, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan once again sought the intervention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the matter.

“I am given to understand that requisite land allocation for the textile project is on hold for want of approval from competent authority of Odisha Government. I urge upon you to personally intervene and direct the Government authorities concerned for allocation of 75 acre of land at Bhadrak for the dream project to take off immediately,” Pradhan said in a letter to the CM. 

Drawing the attention of Naveen for the second time, Pradhan said, “Non-cooperation from the Government would deprive Odisha of this opportunity, which in all likelihood will help it shift to a more ‘industry-friendly’ State.”

Noting that the proposed project for polyester yarn manufacturing using mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) and purified terephthalic acid (PTA) from Paradip refinery will revolutionalise the industrial landscape of Odisha, the Union Minister said it will trigger further investment to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore in the downstream sector with an employment potential of 25,000-30,000.

He said the State has a huge potential for starting polyester-based textile and apparel industry in view of its proximity to consumers in Eastern India and availability of skilled manpower currently working at Surat in Gujarat.

Reminding the CM that Indian Oil had signed an MoU with the State Government for the textile project on November 16, 2017 in presence of Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera and his MSME counterpart Prafulla Samal, Pradhan said in-principle approval was accorded by IPICOL for allotment of 35 acre of land.

“Indian Oil completed a feasibility study of the project in August, 2018 through Chemtext, a Bengaluru-based consulancy firm. Based on the feasibility study, the land requirement worked out at 75 acre with a project cost of `1971 crore,” the letter stated.