By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 9, 2015 :

In a significant move to push the industrial projects hanging fire due to regulatory obstacles, a high level meeting was held here on Monday to hammer out solution to expedite the industrial project.

Presided over chief secretary, G C Pati, the project monitoring group of cabinet committee took stock of the some 40 ongoing railways, national highway, coal mine, steel and power generation projects in Odisha. Attended by Joint Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat Dr V.P. Joy here.

Officials said, around 40 projects were reviewed and the issues raised by project proponents were resolved in the meeting. Chief Secretary has directed field level Forest and Revenue officials to take proactive steps for fastening the grounding of investment projects. The project proponents have been asked to take possession of land already handed over so that further encroachment does not take place.

Besides, they have been asked to expedite implementation, fulfill rehabilitation commitments and Corporate Social Responsibility [C.S.R]. obligations. Chief Secretary made it clear that stringent action would be taken against habitual trouble makers who obstruct the work under some or other pretext.

The Forest and Environment Department has been asked to identify 10,000 hectares of degraded forest land and keep these in land bank for compensatory afforestation against the forest diversions done for railway, national highway and coal mine projects. Chief Secretary has also directed Forest Department to move to Govt. of India for constitution of regional forest and environment committee for quicker decision on diversion proposals.

The major projects like Jharsuguda-Barpalli-Sardega Railway line, Jharsuguda-Rengali doubling, Talcher-Bimlagarh new railway line, Angul-Sukhinda new line project, Angul Sambalpur Toll Road project, Cuttack Angul Toll-way Project, Birmitrapur Barkote Highway, Panikholi-Rimoi NH, etc were reviewed in the meeting, officials said.