NN Sinha lays the foundation stone of Adityapur auto cluster. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Sept. 21: The much-awaited Adityapur auto cluster project kicked off today with the ground-breaking ceremony of its hi-tech laboratory and a business centre opposite Asia Bhavan on Tata-Kandra Road.

The auto cluster’s website, www.autoclusteradityapur-.com, was also launched on the occasion.

Addressing the function at Asia Bhavan, state industry secretary N.N. Sinha called upon industrialists to take equity partnership in the ambitious project. He pointed out that local industrialists had to contribute Rs 9.84 crore towards project cost.

“This project belongs to industrialists and they have to contribute the money to ensure development of the cluster in Adityapur industrial area. The industrialists should forget their differences and work towards raising the mandatory contribution,” Sinha said.

He pointed out that the Union government had already provided 75 per cent subsidy (Rs 40.63 crore) to the auto cluster project.

The industry secretary clarified that though the state’s contribution to the project was not mandatory, the state had agreed to give Rs 6.53 crore equity capital to reduce the burden of partnership of industrialists.

Speaking on the occasion, senior official of the cluster said that besides the hi-tech laboratory and common facility, the project would have a common effluent treatment plant and a hazardous waste management facility.

Cluster director S.N. Thakur said that these two facilities would come up on 12 acres provided by Adityapur Industrial Area Development Authority (Aiada).

He said that the ground-breaking ceremony of these two facilities is expected to be held in October-November, by when the approach road to the project site would be ready.

Officials said that the proposed facilities would prove to be a boon for the large number of industries based in the region. Earlier, the auto component manufacturers from this part of the country went all the way to Pune or Mumbai to get their products tested. The hi-tech laboratory will save the industrial unit’s time and money.

Around 70 per cent of the 800-odd industrial units based in the Adityapur industrial area manufacture auto components. The common business centre, treatment plant and waste management facility will be used by all the industrial units.