Entrance to the Roukela Steel Plant

Bhubaneswar, May 11: The state government has decided to raise the issue of non-realisation of electricity duties worth Rs 1,156 crore from the National Aluminium Company Limited and Roukela Steel Plant during the visit of Union steel secretary to the state tomorrow.

A total of Rs 1,303.51 crores are pending as electricity bills of various industries. However, most of the companies that defaulted in paying their electricity bills have moved court on the issue and the cases are pending.

“We will raise these issue at tomorrow’s meeting which will be presided over by chief secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra,” said a senior official of state energy department.

Electricity dues pending against Nalco have reached the figure of Rs 1,095.07 crore. On the other hand, a sum of Rs 61.25 crore has remained outstanding from the Rourkela Steel Plant.

“As both the public sector companies have approached the court on the issue and the cases have been pending for several years, we have decided to settle these at our level. We will initiate a talk on this issue tomorrow on a positive note,” said an official of the state energy department. While the case of Nalco is pending in the Supreme Court, that of the Rourkela Steel Plant is in Orissa High Court.

The state energy department, in its letter to the Union steel and mines ministry, stated: “Since these three cases involve substantial electricity duty revenue, it is requested that the matter may be placed at the meeting of chief secretary with the Union steel and mines secretary.”

Besides the electricity dues, the state government will also raise the issue of delay in big-ticket projects, including Posco project.

Official sources said issues relating to mining, forest clearance, renewal of mining leases, long-term raw material linkages, e-auction of iron ore, environmental and statutory clearances, land acquisition and supply of raw material to the projects will be discussed at the meeting.

Sources said the problem faced by the eight steel projects promoted by big industrial houses — Posco India, Tata Steel, Essar Steel, Visa Steel, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd, Uttam Galva Steel Ltd, Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd and Amtek Metal & Mining Ltd — would be discussed at the meeting and efforts would be initiated to clear all hurdles.