The Union Ministry of Heavy Industries and Steel will soon constitute a high-level committee to recommend measures for resolving local issues arising from the railway line doubling project for the Rourkela Steel Plant in Odisha, the government said on Thursday (June 26, 2025).

The proposed committee will examine matters including displacement of local communities, rehabilitation and support for the affected population, and employment opportunities for displaced youth — issues flagged by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram.

The railway line doubling is part of infrastructure augmentation plans linked to the expansion of the Rourkela Steel Plant’s production capacity, which is expected to rise from 4.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 9.3 MTPA.

In a press statement issued on Thursday evening, the government said the decision to constitute the committee was taken during a meeting convened in New Delhi’s Udyog Bhawan to review the progress and social impact of the railway line expansion. The meeting was attended by Union Steel Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is also a Member of Parliament from Odisha.

According to the statement, the proposed high-level committee will comprise representatives from the Union Steel Ministry, the Government of Odisha, and the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

The committee is expected to make recommendations on ensuring that development initiatives at the Rourkela Steel Plant proceed while safeguarding the rights and welfare of the local population affected by the project.