Nalco alumina plant at Damanjodi in Koraput. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, June 6: The National Aluminum Company (Nalco) has decided to purchase more products from small-scale industrial units based in Odisha to give these industries a boost.

Nalco chairman-cum-managing director B.L. Bagra said: “We hope to be able to meet 20 per cent of our requirements from Odisha-based small-scale industries. We will continue to encourage the small-scale industries. However, they should ensure quality and timely delivery of products.”

The Prime Minister’s Task Force Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSME) has recommended to all the public sector units to purchase at least 20 per cent of their total inventory from local MSME of the respective states.

Nalco officials said they would be able to meet 20 per cent of their requirements within next three years.

The orders placed with MSME in Odisha in 2009-10 were worth Rs 57.06 crore, which went down a bit to Rs 55.03 crore in 2010-11. However, it took a sharp increase and reached Rs 108.94 crores in 2011-12. “It is very satisfactory to note that Nalco’s buying from the MSME has taken an upward trend,” Bagra said.

On behalf of the Odisha government, MSME secretary Nikunja Sunderay said: “Efforts would be made to bring MSME products on one forum so that it would be easier for Nalco to buy these products for its mother plants.” He also requested the Nalco authorities to display all its requirements on the official website so that the entrepreneurs would get to know about the needs of its various plants.

It has also been decided that a quarterly meeting would be held at the district level with Nalco officials. Nalco has also agreed to send its engineers for a visit to various MSME units of different districts.

A consortium would also be formed taking the National Small Scale Industries Corporation (NSCI) and Odisha Small Scale Industries Corporation (OSCI) into consideration for bulk orders. At present, Nalco has mother plants at Damanjodi and Angul.

A specific survey would also be conducted to know the requirements of these two plants. Entrepreneurs would also be encouraged to take the fly ash from Nalco’s plant site free of cost for making fly ash bricks.