Bhubaneswar May 16: Tata Steel plans to start the construction work for its proposed Rs.15,400 crore 6 million tonne per annum integrated greenfield steel plant in Kalinganagar within a month.

It has already placed orders worth Rs 6,000 crore for the plant and has rehabilitated 650 families.

While the company has started the offsite steel fabrication for hot strip mills in an area leased out from the state owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) near Jajpur road, about 80 percent of the incoming material section yard is almost ready.

"We hope to start the construction of the Kalinganagar plant within a month with the mandate of the local people", H M Nerurkar, chief operating officer (COO), Tata Steel said.

After the company team's discussion with the Union steel secretary R S Pandey, who was in Bhubaneswar to review the progress of the mega projects in the state, Nerurkar told media persons that the company has raised the issue of law and order and infrastructure linkage during the review.

Though the company is ready to start the construction of the plant, it could not do so due to the law and order problem. Similarly, infrastructural linkages like railway link to the plant, railway linkage to the Dhamra port and widening of the national highways are required.

He said, about 70 percent of the families to be displaced have been shifted and the remaining 30 percent families are expected to shift.

Stating that the company is ready to talk to anyone to solve the problem, Nerurkar said, it is in continuous discussion with the local people. The company is also open to talks with the Visthapan Virodhi Manch.

He said, the state and the union government assured the company to look into the issue of mining lease, environmental clearance and infrastructure.

Stating that iron ore is needed for the plant, he said, government has assured to look into the iron ore problem and expressed the hope that it will be resolved within the next 3-4 months. However, the company has not applied for any particular mine, he added.

It may be noted, the company could not start the construction work of the plant as it is faced with the resistance of the local tribals in taking the physical possesion of land alloted to it.