Centre to Form Panel for Rourkela Steel Plant Expansion

Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: The Union Government will constitute a high-level committee to address the challenges obstructing the proposed expansion of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) in Odisha.

Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy, agreed to the proposal during a high-level meeting in New Delhi, following a suggestion by Union Education Minister and Sambalpur MP, Dharmendra Pradhan. The meeting was also attended by Sundargarh MP and Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram.

Expressing gratitude, Pradhan stated in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), “Thankful to the Union Steel Minister for agreeing to my suggestion to form a high-powered committee for addressing hurdles hindering the expansion, removing bottlenecks and resolving all unresolved issues with regard to the expansion of RSP.”

Pradhan emphasized that the expansion of RSP is crucial for India’s steel industry as well as the socio-economic development of Odisha and the broader eastern region. He noted that the move aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for “Purvodaya,” which aims to unlock the industrial potential of eastern India.

“The expansion will boost steel production capacity, reduce imports, support key industrial sectors, and generate large-scale employment in steel and allied industries,” Pradhan added.

The Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has proposed to double RSP’s capacity from 4.5 million tonnes to 9 million tonnes, making it a significant step in strengthening India’s position in the global steel market.