PSU consultancy services provider MECON Ltd has been asked to help speed up the commissioning of NMDC’s Nagarnar Steel Plant in Chattisgarh.
According to a Ministry statement, during the mid-year review meeting with MECON officials, Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh said: “As the key project consultant for NMDC’s Nagarnar Steel Plant, MECON must put in all efforts to commission the steel plant at the earliest.” NMDC has been working on the 3 mtpa plant since 2008.
According to NMDC, the approved project cost was ₹15,525 crore in 2008. In February 2013, the plant was scheduled to be commissioned by September 2015. The deadlines were regularly pushed forward since. The 2,100-acre plant is now due to be commissioned in December 2017.
Earlier this year, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management had prepared a strategic divestment plan in line with a decision of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. The Nagarnar plant has also figured in the list of assets that would be offloaded under the plan.