Mittal Steel on Friday said it was serious about setting up greenfield projects both in Orissa as well as Jharkhand and has shortlisted three probable sites for its 12 million tonne plant in Jharkhand.
"We are seriously pursuing the projects both in Jharkhand and Orissa, and will begin work in whichever state (that) fulfils our requirement first," Mittal Steel India chief executive officer (Jharkhand project) Sanak Mishra said in Kolkata.
Out of six probable sites in Jharkhand, the company has shortlisted three -- Saraikela, Galudi and Torpa -- and a final decision on this would be taken in four weeks, he said.
Asked about how much land the company required for the project, Mishra said: "We are assessing the land requirement. Roughly, we need about 10,000 acres."
"We are also planning to create a green belt around the plant and put up a residential complex," he said.
Mishra's statement is significant and sets at rest doubts about whether the company would scrap the Jharkhand project in the wake of its chief L N Mittal announcing plans for an identical 12 MT project in Orissa in July.
