Coal Minister lays foundation stone for conveyor system at NALCO's Damanjodi refinery

New Delhi, Feb 25 () Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday laid foundation stone of crusher and conveyor system at NALCO's mining and refinery complex in Damanjodi, Odisha.

The system will cater to feed bauxite for the fifth stream of alumina refinery of the company.

The project is expected to be completed by April 2022 and would cost around Rs 483 crore, Coal Ministry said in a statement.

"We as a country aim to reach USD 5 trillion economy by 2024 and I am sure NALCO will be a success story in this growth trajectory," the minister said.

Joshi stated that Odisha has about 51 per cent of bauxite, 25 per cent of coal and 34 per cent of iron ore resources of the country, apart from 96 per cent of chromite and 44 per cent of manganese resources.

"Our government has taken a number of steps to unlock the mining potential of mineral rich states for the benefit of the country as well as the population residing in these areas," he said.

He also appreciated the state government for supporting mining activities in the region and said that it will help in boosting the economy and bringing development to the state. SID RVK