Days after after passage of Public Security Bill, Maharashtra CM Fadnavis to inaugurate iron ore projects in Gadchiroli
The chief minister will inaugurate the first phase of the 5-Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) iron ore grinding plant and a 10 MTPA slurry pipeline project – the first operational iron ore slurry pipeline in the state – at Hedri in Gadchiroli.
CM Fadnavis will also lay the foundation stone for several projects, including a 4.5 MTPA Integrated Steel Plant at Konsari, a 100-bed multispeciality hospital, a school, and a 116-acre Lloyds Township in the Naxal-affected region.
Government sources said the 85-km-long slurry pipeline will establish a seamless and environment-friendly logistics link between Hedri and a pellet plant at Konsari, ensuring reliable ore transportation while lowering the carbon footprint by 55 per cent.
In a remarkable development, the grinding plant, constructed by the Lloyds Metals & Energy Limited (LMEL), has employed 65 former Naxals – 27 in the administration department, 29 in civil/construction, and nine in the mechanical department. The facility was readied in a year.
B Prabhakaran, Managing Director, LMEL, said, '22nd July, 2025, is going to be recorded in the history of Gadchiroli as well as Maharashtra in golden letters… After successful green operations of iron ore mines at Surjagarh, commissioning of the DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) plant and pellet plant at Konsari, now a giant leap of faith is being taken in the form of an integrated steel plant.'
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