Joda, Jan 10: The foundation stone for the beneficiation plant of Joda East Iron Mine (JEIM) of Tata Steel was laid by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik  in a virtual ceremony today. Senior Tata Steel officials also connected virtually for the groundbreaking ceremony.

D B SundaraRamam, Vice President, Raw Materials, Tata Steel said: “Raw Materials are essential for manufacturing steel. This beneficiation plant at Joda East Iron Mine will prove to be a strategic addition to meet our expansion target in the months to come. The company has been steadily participating in the development of the State of Odisha and its people. We are thankful to the Odisha government for all their support.”

JEIM is operational since 1956 and the entire iron ore produced from the mine is fed to the company’s own steel plants along with its sister companies & subsidiaries at Jamshedpur (East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand), Kalinganagar (Jajpur district of Odisha), Meramandali (Dhenkanal district of Odisha) & Tata Steel Long Products Gamharia (Seraikela-Kharsawan district of Jharkhand). 

Environment management has always been a core part of Tata Steel`s operations. Regular monitoring of air, noise, surface water quality and ground water level and its quality is carried out and adequate steps are taken to ensure the environment remains pollution-free. 

CSR activities being run by Tata Steel will continue further in and around Joda in various sectors which include Education, Healthcare, Sustainable livelihood, Water and sanitation, Rural Infrastructure development, Sports and Empowerment.

The expansion project will result in growth of the surrounding areas by increasing direct & indirect employment opportunities in the region including ancillary development and supporting infrastructure. The project will further add to their social and economic growth in terms of indirect income generation opportunities.