Arcelor-Mittal scouts for land in Dharwad.

Arcelor-Mittal is proposing to establish a steel plant in Dharwad for an investment of Rs. 5,000 crore and it is said to be looking for a suitable land. Representatives of the Roland Berger Strategy Consultants Private Limited, the technical adviser to Arcelor-Mittal, are expected to visit the twin cities by this month-end, to take stock of the land available here for the establishment of a proposed steel plant.

President of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), Hubballi, Vasanth Ladawa said that the proposed automotive HS (high speed) steel plant with 1.5 million tonnes per annum production capacity for which Arcelor-Mittal would invest Rs. 5,000 crore. It would create direct and indirect jobs for 15,000 families, and it would offer technologically-advanced steel products for the automotive sector.

Nearly 300 acres of a dimension of 1.3 km x 07 km is required for the plant. Hubballi-Dharwad is the most suitable place for this plant, he said.

The KCCI has already informed Roland Berger about the availability of land at KIADB industrial area at Mummigatti near Dharwad and Gamanagatti Industrial Area second stage near Hubballi. 'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has also given positive response about facilitating the establishment of Arcelor-Mittal plant near the twin cities, and District In-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has called us for a discussion in this regard in Belagavi. By offering attractive incentives, the government should ensure the establishment of the plant in North Karnataka region itself, as there is also a possibility of attracting the plant towards South Karnataka region,' Ladawa said.

It may be recalled here that due to lack of initiative from the state government Hero Motocorp which had shown interest in setting up its unit in Dharwad backed out and shifted to Andhra Pradesh. Tata Motors which wanted to set up its unit in Dharwad decided to set up the unit in Gujarat as Karnataka government failed to provide the necessary infrastructure.

BS