Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today laid the foundation stone for the JSW Mega Steel Plant in Paradip and expressed the strong determination of the state government to make Odisha the 'steel capital' of the country.

It is worth noting that a total investment of Rs 1.25 lakh crore will be invested by JSW Steel in this project, which is the largest in the history of Odisha. This state-of-the-art plant, which will be implemented in two phases, will have an annual capacity of 24 million tonnes of steel, a 12 million tonnes cement plant, a 900 MW captive power system and a special jetty.

In the presence of JSW Group Chairman Aikreen Jindal and senior officials of its Japanese partner company JFE Steel, the Chief Minister also assured the company of all immediate government support.

In his speech, the Chief Minister said that the project for which the public had been waiting for two decades and for which only the foundation stone was laid two years ago, has been implemented in fast-track mode after the new 'double engine' government came to power. He has now given a timeline guarantee that the construction of the project, which was supposed to start in 2028 under the previous regime, will be completed and steel production will start by 2028. Giving an example of this fast-paced work style of the government, he also mentioned the success of Trimetro Garments in Khordha, where production has already started within a year of laying the foundation stone.

The Chief Minister made a big announcement regarding foreign industrial partnerships in Odisha. While giving information about the ongoing Rs 30,000 crore project in Jharsuguda in collaboration with Japan's JFE Steel, he said that as per the discussions with Japan, a 'Sister States' agreement will be signed between Odisha and Japan's 'Tottori' state soon. Due to this, Japan will invest heavily in the industrial, tourism and education sectors of Odisha.

Majhi informed that new steel plants will soon be set up not only in Paradip or Jharsuguda, but also in Dhenkanal and Keonjhar.

The Chief Minister presented the two-year success report, stating that industrialization and employment are the biggest focus of his government in the state. During this period, the government has approved 433 projects, which will generate an investment of Rs 8.5 lakh crore and create more than 5 lakh employment opportunities. So far, the ground breaking ceremony of 148 projects has been completed, through which about 2.37 lakh youth have been employed.

He said that he has been successful in bringing investment proposals worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore after visiting various major cities of the country like Hyderabad, Kolkata and Gujarat. He said that investors are now flocking to Odisha due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's love for Odisha and his "Yahi Samay Hai, Sahi Samay Hai,' appeal.

The Chief Minister has emphasized on the 'Two-Coast Strategy' or two-coast development strategy on the lines of Mundra Port in Gujarat for the transformation of Paradip. Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur ports will play a prominent role in the Prime Minister's 'Purva Uday' vision, in which Paradip will be at the top.

After the Indian Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals Complex in Paradip, there are plans to set up a cruise terminal and a mega shipbuilding complex. Along with this, the Paradip-Cuttack-Bhubaneswar-Puri Economic Corridor (BCPPER) will be built with a grant of Rs 5,000 crore from the Central Government, in which Paradip will be the 'Mukhshaala'. In the next few years, more than 1 lakh new jobs will be created in the Paradip area alone. Finally, based on the policy of "Banijaye Baste Lakshmi", the Chief Minister sought the cooperation of all the people to make the state one of the best and most developed states in the country by 2036 on the occasion of the centenary of the formation of Odisha.