Bhubaneswar, May 23: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today underscored the need for finalising the new industrial policy with an emphasis on value addition, attracting investments and generation of jobs.

Presiding over a crucial meeting at the state secretariat, Naveen also asked bureaucrats to identify land in advance for 21 industries that would be treated as high priority by the new industrial policy. This would rule out chances of unnecessary delay in the execution of these projects, said sources.

The review at which industries minister Debi Prasad Mishra and energy minister Pranab Kumar Dash were present also took stock of the problems being faced by industries in the state. Some of these were identified as land acquisition and availability of raw material. The chief minister asked officials to prepare a list of 20 major investors in the state and sort out the problems being faced by them.

The review by the chief minister is significant in the wake of the setbacks the state government has suffered on the industrial front over the past year. South Korean steel major Posco's mega project near Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district is in rough waters following its failure to get the Khandadhar iron mines so far and differences with the government over payment for the land acquired at the site.

Raw materials have also been haunting some other projects including Vedanta group's alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district. The plant has been running below capacity with the company unable to get enough bauxite within the state and having to depend on sources outside Odisha that could make the venture unviable. The company, however, is in talks with the government for alternative sources of bauxite within the state.

Significantly, chief minister also asked top labour department officials to submit a report on employment provided to local residents by industries set up in different areas of the state.

The government had virtually made employment to local youths a pre-condition for patronising industries but many of these are yet to take steps in this regard. The review meeting also underlined the need for expediting the process of constituting an industrial security force for the state.