‘West Bengal can now tap big-ticket investments after Centre’s green nod’
12 March 2015 10:43 PM GMT
Speaking to the media persons in the national capital on Wednesday, state finance Minister Amit Mitra said, “On Monday our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had a discussion with union environment minister Prakash Javadekar at Parliament’s central hall and shared her views on pending projects due to clearance from his ministry. The union minister assured her that necessary steps will be taken.”
“I followed up the matter and met the union minister at his office and he gave me the list of projects, which got clearance in West Bengal. These projects were pending for long time and we are happy that it got cleared,” he added.
Of the 44 projects (including five which is yet to be formalized), 14 belong to Central PSUs like SAIL, ONGC and NTPC, five to state PSUs and rest to private sectors. “Since environment clearance was the last step, these projects are now set to take off,” Mitra said.
When asked about the total investment and employment generation out of the projects, he said, “We have not calculated it yet but all I can say that the investment would be huge and will provide a lot of employments.”
The projects in Central sector includes four exploratory drilling projects of ONGC, three expansion proposals of SAIL, NTPC’s 500 MW thermal power project expansion and a 2,340 MW project of DVC.
The Environment Ministry has also cleared state projects including development of some coal blocks and diversion of some tract of forest land for industrial use.
A number of private projects in the steel and mines sectors has also been cleared that include Soya Ispat’s proposed steel plant at Bankura and Rashmi Metaliks’ proposed steel-making unit at Paschim Mednipur.
In the sidelines of the press conference, Mitra also said that the state environment minister Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar has submitted a proposal of Rs 13,000 Crore to the Green Tribunal for treating waste from 780 Industrial units in 41 municipalities. “The proposal will reach to the union environment ministry for funds through the Supreme Court via Green Tribunal,” Mitra said.
“I followed up the matter and met the union minister at his office and he gave me the list of projects, which got clearance in West Bengal. These projects were pending for long time and we are happy that it got cleared,” he added.
Of the 44 projects (including five which is yet to be formalized), 14 belong to Central PSUs like SAIL, ONGC and NTPC, five to state PSUs and rest to private sectors. “Since environment clearance was the last step, these projects are now set to take off,” Mitra said.
When asked about the total investment and employment generation out of the projects, he said, “We have not calculated it yet but all I can say that the investment would be huge and will provide a lot of employments.”
The projects in Central sector includes four exploratory drilling projects of ONGC, three expansion proposals of SAIL, NTPC’s 500 MW thermal power project expansion and a 2,340 MW project of DVC.
The Environment Ministry has also cleared state projects including development of some coal blocks and diversion of some tract of forest land for industrial use.
A number of private projects in the steel and mines sectors has also been cleared that include Soya Ispat’s proposed steel plant at Bankura and Rashmi Metaliks’ proposed steel-making unit at Paschim Mednipur.
In the sidelines of the press conference, Mitra also said that the state environment minister Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar has submitted a proposal of Rs 13,000 Crore to the Green Tribunal for treating waste from 780 Industrial units in 41 municipalities. “The proposal will reach to the union environment ministry for funds through the Supreme Court via Green Tribunal,” Mitra said.
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