TNI Bureau: While the state government continues to thump their chest claiming that reputed industries are showing special interest in setting up industrial units in Odisha, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has alleged that one after another industry that had earlier signed agreements during the BJD Government’s tenure are now leaving the state.
Semiconductor Group SRAM & MRAM, which had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the BJD Government in 2023, has now signed a agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Government, making it clear that the company
will not set up its plant in Odisha.
Recently, during Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s visit to Delhi, it was announced that two new semiconductor units will be established in Odisha. However, just before the Hon’ble CM’s return from Delhi, the news that a company that had already signed an MoU is now exiting the state has saddened the people of Odisha.
During a press conference held at Shankha Bhawan, MLA and General Secretary Tusharkanti Behera stated that SRAM & MRAM had signed an MoU with the BJD Government on March 29, 2023, proposing an investment of Rs 30,000 crore. Around 700 acres of land in Chhatrapur area of Ganjam district had been identified for this
project. However, the company has now signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh Government instead. Behera further said that earlier, companies like JSW EV and Arcelor Mittal,
which had signed agreements with the BJD Government, have now gone on to sign
new agreements with Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, respectively. Therefore, while the state government keeps claiming that many companies are showing interest in investing in Odisha, the reality is that these companies are leaving the state one after another. The BJP Government’s vision of making Odisha an industrially prosperous state is proving to be nothing more than hollow talk, he said.
Senior BJD leader and former Minister Ashok Chandra Panda pointed out thatthat the Science and Technology Minister Shri Krushna Chandra Patra recently announced the establishment of a Science City in Khordha, but this plan was originally conceptualized and initiated during the BJD Government.
In the Barunei area near Khordha, 50 acres of land had already been allocated by the BJD Government for the Science City project. Similarly, the decision to establish Science Parks-cum-Planetariums in all 30 districts of the state had also been taken by the BJD Government. Each of these projects was planned to be built on 5 acres of land at a cost of around Rs 6.5 crore.
Such Science Park-cum-Planetariums have already been completed in Baripada,
Ghatagaon (Keonjhar), and Rayagada.
Hence, Panda accused the BJP Government
of trying to take credit for projects that were actually launched during the BJD
Government.