The recent naxals attack on the state owned National Aluminium Company (Nalco) mines at the Damanjodi district in the state has not only rattled the 400-odd employees of the public sector undertaking, but also forced the industrial houses in the state to reassess their security needs.
Although industrial houses are not willing to come on record against passing any comments against naxal attack on the Nalco mining sites particularly amidst elections, many officials said that in a bid to attract industries to the state, the security machinery needs to be tightened further. ?We do consider naxals attack on Nalco facility as terrorist act,? a top executive with private company told FE.
The top executives from the industrial houses feared that new Orissa government?s first task after assuming office next month is to modernise and upgrade the security facilities at all the industrial sites.
?We are alarmed by the fact that the Orissa government has only one bomb disposal squad while the state has witnessed a number of naxals attacks in the recent months,? an official with IT company in the state said.
Sharad S Nandurdikar, managing director, Paradeep Phosphates Limited and also chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Orissa chapter said ?we are hopeful that the new state government would give priority to the security concern.? The Naveen Patnaik led Orissa government has signed MOUs with some key industrial houses such as Tata Steel, South Korean steel giant Posco, Jindals, Arcelor Mittal & Vedanta for setting up mega green field projects. Many industries have shown interest in investing in Orissa because of its infrastructure such as power, ports and abundance of mineral resources.
A state home department official said that the government is taking appropriate measure according to the threat perception. However the security concern may hinder many corporate houses plan in the state as Orissa has been always considered as a ?safe? place to invest.
According to state government data, Orissa is one if the richest states having chromite, nickel, bauxite, iron ore and coal deposits to the extent of 95.26%, 92.46%, 54.97%, 32.54% and 24.48% respectively of the total country?s deposits.
According to the Economic Survey 2008-9 published by directorate of economics & statistics, planning & co-ordination department of Orissa government, the main factors contributing to the under-developed status of the state?s economy are due to ?undiversified economy, low level of investment, slow economic growth and frequent occurance of natural calamities?
Interestingly, after the power sector reforms were initiated in the state more than a decade back, it achieved ?power surplus? status with the availability of 2,381 mega watt of power in 2007-8 as against an estimated requirement of 1,997 mega watt.