Odisha to be country’s aluminium capital soon: Union Mines Secy

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Bhubaneswar, June 30: Union Mines Secretary Balvinder Kumar on
Thursday said that Odisha is soon going to be the Aluminium Capital of India.
“With more than half the bauxite reserves of the
country and massive presence of Nalco, Hindalco and Vedanta, Odisha is soon
going to be the Aluminium Capital of India,” said Kumar.
He was addressing at the inaugural session of the
national seminar on ‘Aluminium: The Strategic Metal’, organised by Aluminium
Association of India (AAI) here on Thursday.
He expressed his happiness that despite varying
business interests, aluminium majors, primary producers and secondary producers
have gathered under the AAI umbrella to collectively counter the market
downturn in aluminium sector.
Kumar assured that Aluminium Development Council, as
suggested by Dr Tapan Kumar Chand, president, Aluminium Association of India
and CMD, Nalco, would be set up soon to strengthen the aluminium industry of
the country.
He further informed that on AAI’s recommendation,
the Ministry of Mines has asked the Railway Ministry to charge the freight of bauxite
at par with limestone and include alumina in the non-metal segment.
Besides, Kumar complimented Nalco for accepting Centres’
suggestion to take up Jagannath Temple in Puri under Swachh Bharat Mission. He
urged other aluminium players to adopt villages under open-defecation-free
programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Odisha Steel and Mines
Principal Secretary R.K. Sharma said that there is a vast scope for the
aluminium industry in India at large and in Odisha, in particular.
Nalco CMD Dr Chand said that while the aluminium
industry across the globe is passing through sluggishness, AAI is taking up
steps to strengthen the sector through various initiatives.
He stressed on cost reduction, making domestic
market more vibrant and enhancing the aluminium market through introduction of
various value-added and high-end products.
         

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