Civil construction work for the proposed INR 2000 crore integrated titanium project near Chhatrapur in Ganjam district is likely to start July 2008, as the land acquisition process for the first phase of the plant is almost completed. The integrated titanium plant is being set up by Titanium Products Private Ltd, a joint venture company of the Kolkata-based Saraf Agencies and Russian government. According to the report, it requires about 250 acres of land at Kanamana, Sriramchandrapur and Tikiria Berhampur villages near Chhatrapur which will produce 40,000tns of titanium dioxide per annum. The land comprises 200 acres of private land and 52.66 acres of government land. Sources in the district administration said the company has taken possession of about 95% of private land and 34.09 acres of government land. It said the delay in acquiring the remaining 16.57 acres of government land is due to the necessary procedural requirement. In the second phase, the project would need another 300 acres of land, which includes 225 acres in private ownership. The land acquisition for the second phase has also started.
