BELLARY: Bellary district, with abundant mineral resources (iron ore), is poised to emerge as a hub of industrial activity and also as a steel district in the next couple of years.

As many as 104 proposals to set up major and medium industries, including steel plants, in the district have been cleared by the Department of Industries up to February 2007.

The proposals cleared include 19 categories of large and medium industries — steel, sponge iron, captive power generation, cement, fertilizer, star hotels and floriculture — with an estimated investment of over Rs. 2,045.63 crore. These are in addition to the mega, large and medium scale industries that have already been set up in the district.

Of the 104 industries proposed, 46 have been working, 10 are under implementation and the remaining are yet to commence work.

Of the 18 steel plants proposed, nine have been commissioned and two are under various stages of implementation.

Expansion

This includes the expansion of the existing steel plant owned by the Jindal group at Torangal, which has plans to produce 10 million tonnes by 2010.

Forty-seven sponge iron units have been cleared, of which 20 have been set up, five out of the nine iron ore benefication plants have started operations, three out of six captive power generating units have been set up, according to Anil Uppin, Joint Director, Department of Industries and Commerce.

Mr. Uppin told The Hindu that the Department had identified about 2,741 acres of land in and around Bellary for developing industrial areas and a proposal had been forwarded to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board to acquire about 500 acres of land in the first phase.

In addition, it had been proposed to develop around 300 acres of land at Torangal to cater to the ancillary units and also to the service sector units such as general engineering, motor winding, fabricating and welding.

Development

He said steps were being taken to industrially develop Kudligi and Sandur taluks, which are declared as the most backward taluks by the Dr. Nanjundappa Committee on regional imbalance. Separate industrial development action plans for the two taluks had been prepared under the "Kaigarika Vikas Yojana" and forwarded to the State Government for approval.

In Sandur taluk, it had been proposed to develop 18 acres of land to set up auto nagar at Sandur, 50-acre industrial area in Kudligi and also in Kottur town, Mr. Uppin added.

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