2 years on, SAIL plant awaits Army nod

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, March 10

It has been over two years since the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) finished the construction of its plant in the Kandrori area of Kangra district. However, since the Indian Army has not given no-objection certificate (NOC) for the project, the production at the plant is yet to start.

The district administration of Kangra and the state government have taken up the matter of giving NOC with the Army authorities many times, but to no avail.

Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Paul Rasu admitted that so far the Army authorities have not given the NOC for the project.

The Army authorities are not giving the NOC on the plea that they have their ordinance depot at Kandrori which is within striking distance from the steel plant. The Army authorities said having a steel plant, where furnaces would generate high temperature, would not be safe for the ordinance depot.

Even after having spent over Rs 100 crore on the project, the SAIL authorities are not in a position to start production in the plant. The initial cost of the project was about Rs 79 crore. However, it has risen to over Rs 100 crore due to the delay.

The foundation stone of the plant was laid by former Union Minister of Steel Ram Vilas Paswan in 2009. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was instrumental in getting the project sanctioned for the state during his stint as the Union Steel Minister.

As per the project report, the plant will have an installed capacity of 1 lakh tonnes per annum. It will feed the demand of steel in northern areas of the country, including Punjab, Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir. The plant will generate direct and indirect avenues of employment for people of the Indora area.

Officials of SAIL are lobbying hard to get clearance for starting production at the plant.

The Army authorities, on the other hand, are asking the DC to issue a notification banning all kinds of construction within a radius of 900 m of the depot.

Local leaders of Indora allege that if the notification is strictly followed, the existence of the entire Pathankot town in Punjab is illegal.

The Army was taking a hard stance on the matter as the plant is just 40 km away from the international border with Pakistan.

The Army authorities have erred by not objecting to the project from the beginning. Now that about Rs 300 crore has been spent on the project and the Army authorities have no locus standi to oppose the start of production at the plant.