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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

The Iron Ore Revolution

Gadchiroli transforms from ‘Red Corridor’ to steel hub Gadchiroli: Once synonymous with the shadow of the Naxal insurgency, Gadchiroli is undergoing an unprecedented and rapid transformation, poised to emerge as a powerhouse of the Indian steel industry and a model for socio-economic development. With security issues largely contained, the district is now witnessing a massive Rs 3 lakh crore investment pipeline, signaling a monumental shift from conflict to commerce. District Collector...

The Iron Ore Revolution

Gadchiroli transforms from ‘Red Corridor’ to steel hub Gadchiroli: Once synonymous with the shadow of the Naxal insurgency, Gadchiroli is undergoing an unprecedented and rapid transformation, poised to emerge as a powerhouse of the Indian steel industry and a model for socio-economic development. With security issues largely contained, the district is now witnessing a massive Rs 3 lakh crore investment pipeline, signaling a monumental shift from conflict to commerce. District Collector Avishyant Panda detailed the comprehensive development agenda, underscoring that the focus has squarely moved to building world-class industry and infrastructure, matched by crucial human resource development. The heart of this transformation is the colossal investment in steel production, leveraging the district’s rich iron ore deposits. The combined efforts of major industrial players are set to make Gadchiroli a steel manufacturing giant. JSW Steel is setting up what is projected to be the world’s biggest single-location steel plant, with a massive capacity of 25 MT (Million Tonnes). Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd. has already commenced operations, establishing a 10 MT steel plant at Konsari, while Surjagadh Ispat is adding to the capacity with a committed 5 MT plant. The total planned production capacity of 40 MT in the coming years will not only generate significant wealth from the district’s natural resources but also anchor a vast auxiliary industrial ecosystem. “The district that was once being ruled with the barrels of a gun is now rapidly transforming into an advanced hub that thrives on the riches gained from the iron ore,” Collector Panda asserted. Infrastructure Leap Crucial to sustaining this industrial boom is a massive upgrade in connectivity, which has long been a major bottleneck. The long-awaited Railway link is soon expected to bring Gadchiroli onto the national rail map, drastically reducing logistics costs and time for the heavy steel industry. The district administration has already identified three locations for the construction of an airport. A final clearance and nod from the Ministry of Aviation is anticipated soon for one of these sites, which will facilitate rapid movement of VVIPs, critical goods, and eventually, commercial traffic. Digital Integration To ensure no corner of this vast district (which is comparable in size to the state of Nagaland) is left behind, a massive digital push has been executed. Mobile towers have been erected across all 1,550 hamlets in over 450 gram panchayats, with an additional 550 towers set up along key roads, ensuring robust communication and online service delivery. Skilled Manpower While security and infrastructure challenges are being systematically resolved, the single biggest issue that remains is the availability of skilled manpower to service the highly technical steel and allied industries. Recognizing that human capital is the critical factor for sustaining the district’s monumental industrial investment, Gondwana University, Gadchiroli, has embarked on an ambitious global partnership to cultivate a highly skilled local workforce. The university, in collaboration with the private sector and a leading international institution, is transforming its academic focus to directly align with the demands of the emerging Steel Hub of India. The linchpin of this strategy is the formation of a University Institute of Technology (UIT) in Gadchiroli. This institute, established with the full financial backing and corporate social responsibility commitment from Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd, is primarily dedicated to providing free diploma-level technical education to tribal and economically disadvantaged students from the district’s most remote areas. A landmark agreement has been signed with Curtin University, Australia, a globally renowned institution particularly strong in mining studies. This tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gondwana University and Lloyds Metals & Energy Ltd aims to combine global academic rigour with local employment opportunity. The new UIT is currently offering three specialized, industry-relevant diploma courses: Mining Technology, Steel Technology, and Computer Science with Mining Applications. Each stream is designed to enroll 30 students in its initial phase, with the curriculum being jointly developed by the academic and industry partners to ensure the training is both theoretically sound and commercially applicable. Formation of District Transformation Committee (DTC) provides a crucial institutional framework for coordinating the implementation of key central and state schemes, specifically focusing on skill development, education, and health to fast-track the district’s comprehensive development. New Horizons The developmental model is deliberately holistic, encompassing agriculture and social infrastructure. Progressive farmers, with active support from the district administration, are experimenting with high-value crops like Water Chestnut and Strawberry, moving beyond traditional paddy farming to explore profitable agricultural diversification. The Ekal Training Centres are undertaking a unique program aimed at empowering Gram Sabhas (Village Councils) to enhance and sustainably manage forest produce, ensuring that the tribal populace receives the maximum benefit from their natural wealth. Social Infrastructure Upgrade The education and health infrastructure is seeing a significant overhaul. New hospitals are being established in the remotest areas, with much of the funding and support coming directly from the industries setting up base in the region, creating a true public-private partnership for social good. Gadchiroli’s story is no longer one of adversity, but a vibrant narrative of economic resurgence, connectivity, and development. The collective focus on capitalizing on its mineral wealth while simultaneously nurturing its people’s skills and social well-being marks the dawn of a new, industrial era for this once-neglected frontier.

Farmers’ Protest: Fresh Talks With Centre Begin Over MSP Guarantee, Debt Waiver & Other Demands

  • PTI
  • Mar 19
  • 2 min read

Updated: Mar 20

A 28-member farmers' delegation meets central ministers in Chandigarh, hoping for a breakthrough on MSP, debt relief, and other key issues


Farmers’ Protest
A fresh round of talks between protesting farmers and a central delegation to discuss their various demands. | X @PTI_News

Chandigarh: A fresh round of talks between protesting farmers and a central delegation to discuss their various demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops, is underway here.

Union Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal reached the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26 here around 11.50 am on Wednesday for the meeting.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian are also part of the meeting.

Ahead of the talks, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said a 28-member delegation of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will take part in the meeting.


The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the farmers' stir.

Pandher said the farmers expect the government to resolve their issues.

"We have come here for the meeting with a positive mind. Some decision should come out after the meeting. We expect that the deadlock over the MSP guarantee law will end and the talks will move forward," he told reporters.

The farmers' delegation comprising Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher reached the meeting venue earlier.


Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite fast, came in an ambulance. He said they were expecting the Centre's response on the data presented by farmers in support of their claims.

The last meeting between the farmers and the central delegation was held here on February 22. The meeting was attended by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

In the last meeting, the central team sought data from the farmers to back their claims for a legal guarantee for MSP for a discussion with experts.

The farmers said a legal guarantee for MSP can be given with an estimated outlay of Rs 25,000-30,000 crore per annum.


On February 14, a meeting between a central team led by Union minister Joshi and farmers' representatives was held here.

Prior to this meeting, four rounds of meetings took place between central ministers and the protesting farmers in February 2024 but the talks remained inconclusive.

The protesting farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year after security forces did not allow them to march to Delhi to press their demands.

Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariffs, withdrawal of police cases against farmers, justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence in Uttar Pradesh, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.

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