BHAWANIPATNA, 9 JUNE: After an inordinate delay of about one-and-a-half years, the first plant-level consultative committee meeting to set up ancillary and downstream industries under Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) was held at Lanjigarh recently.
The meeting was held in accordance with the state government notification on 5 February last year that all private sector large and mega-industries should hold such meetings to facilitate the establishment of ancillary and downstream industries in their vicinity.
Sources said the notification, which is a part of the industrial policy, has the twin purposes of supporting the big industries and generating employment opportunities for the youth of the state, particularly from the local area.
According to a survey by the district industries department, several ancillary, downstream and demand-based industries are feasible in the Vedanta site, which is the only large industry in Kalahandi.
The ancillary industries identified are: grinding media, caustic soda, resin, lime etc.
The downstream industries identified are fly-ash constituted brick and cement, red mud bricks and tiles. Engineering workshops were also mentioned.
There is also a window for several demand-based industries like computer data processing, hospitality, and transport, to name a few.
The plant-level consultative committee has been formed, as per the notification, by the project manager of VAL, a representative of the collector, the manager of the lead bank, the BM of the local bank, representatives of the local industrial associations, and the general manager of the district industries centre (DIC) as member convener.
Mr Parameswar Nayak, the DIC general manager and member convener of the committee, asked VAL to arrange some patch of land on its campus to locate the proposed ancillary and downstream industries which will feed VAL.
The chief operating officer, VAL, Dr Mukesh Kumar, assured that the company will procure the products of ancillary industries.
For the expansion work of VAL, the products from downstream industries will be used, he pledged.
It was decided in the meeting to provide technical details to interested entrepreneurs. It was opined in the meeting that implementation of the programme will pave the way for much-needed employment for local job seekers and help local entrepreneurs.