Chhattisgarh CM announces revival of Aluminium Park Project in Korba

Raipur, February 22, 2024 – The Chhattisgarh government, under the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has announced the revival of an aluminum park project initially proposed in 2021 to bolster small-scale industries in Korba, situated approximately 250 kilometers from the state capital.

In a bid to promote small-scale industries, the Chhattisgarh government had previously entered into an agreement with Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (BALCO), a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited, to supply raw aluminum at subsidized rates to these industries.

BALCO, wherein the Indian government holds a 49 percent stake, possesses the capability to produce 570,000 tonnes of aluminum. Following Vedanta Limited’s acquisition of a 51 percent stake in 2001, plans have been laid to increase the capacity to 1 million tonnes annually. Capitalizing on this opportunity, the state government intends to establish an aluminum park, necessitating approximately 140 hectares of land. However, the proposal had been shelved.

In 2015, under the BJP government led by Raman Singh, efforts were made to rejuvenate the project as the district administration was tasked with identifying suitable land. Eventually, land in Rukhbahari village, near BALCO township, was earmarked for the project, with a gram sabha held to secure the villagers’ consent. Nevertheless, the proposal was once again deferred.

The recently elected legislator from Korba, Lakhanlal Dewangan, has taken proactive measures to reignite interest in the project. An initial allocation of Rs 5 crore has been provisioned in the industry department’s budget proposal for the fiscal year 2024-25 to address the longstanding demand for the Aluminum Park in Korba district, as confirmed by Dewangan.

Dewangan further assured that the project initiation procedures would commence promptly, with the government committed to ensuring its expeditious execution. Highlighting the significance of the Aluminum Park, he emphasized that its establishment would enable the local production of aluminum products, leveraging BALCO’s existing smelter plant in Korba. This move is anticipated to attract substantial investments to Korba, the industrial nucleus of Chhattisgarh, as both local and external industrialists express interest in establishing manufacturing facilities within the park.