Bhubaneswar: Altogether 13 companies have pulled back their projects from Odisha after they signed MoUs with the state government between 2004 and 2010.

This was revealed by Industry Minister Sampad Chandra Swain in the Assembly today.

The 13 companies, including corporate behemoths POSCO and Arcelor Mittal, had promised to set up their projects in sectors like steel, power and alumina in Odisha, revealed the minister while replying to a query of Jaleswar BJD MLA Aswini Kumar Patra in the House.

According to the data provided by the minister, South Korean steel major POSCO had inked a pact with the state government in 2005 to set up a steel plant at Paradeep in Jagatsinghpur district with an investment of Rs 51,000 crore. However, the company withdrew its proposed project some years ago.

Similarly, Arcelor Mittal had signed an MoU with the state government in 2006 to establish a steel plant at Patna in Keonjhar district with an investment of Rs 40,000 crore. However, the company pulled back its project.

Besides, companies like Maharashtra Seamless Limited, Sterlite Industries Limited, Angul (Bhushan) Energy Limited, JR Powergen Private Limited, Tata Power Company Limited, Aarti Steel Limited, CESC Limited, Chambal Infrastructure & Ventures Limited, Kalinga Energy & Power Limited, BGR Energy System Limited and RSB Metaltech Private Limited have withdrawn their proposed projects from Odisha.

If executed, these projects would have brought around Rs 1.55 lakh crore investment to the state, revealed the data.

It is worth mentioning here that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) led by Naveen Patnaik had ruled the state uninterruptedly from 2000 to 2024.

The BJP formed its maiden government in the state after the party secured majority in this year’s Assembly elections in Odisha.   Â