Anil Agarwal mulls processing plant, varsity in Bihar

Patna, Sep 9 (PTI) Responding to Chief MinisterNitish Kumar’s call for investment, Vedanta Resources founderAnil Agarwal today said he was planning to start a mineralsprocessing plant and a world-class university at his homestate Bihar. Vedanta will build 4,000 ‘Nand Ghar’ replacing Aganwadisas part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, amajority of which would be in Bihar, he said. Agarwal, who was here to participate in the 90thanniversary celebrations of Bihar Chamber of Commerce andIndustries, said the proposed processing plant in Bihar forminerals like zinc, silver and copper would be built at a costof Rs 50 crore to Rs 500 crore. He welcomed Nitish Kumar government’s IndustrialPromotion Policy, 2016 and said that the existing law andorder situation is not a deterrent for investing in the state. "By further tightening law and order, such minorirritants could be ended, " Agarwal said. He, however, underlined the need for providing capitalsubsidy to further attract investors to Bihar. Saying that it was his "dream" to set up a world classuniversity in Bihar, he said, "In addition to VedantaUniversity in Odisha, we can have another similar world-classuniversity akin to Oxford in Bihar." Referring to the proposed ‘Nand Ghar’ plan, Agarwalsaid it will help in improving nutrition and educationfor children and economically empower the rural women andbenefit 30 million children and women. "We have asked the Union ministry of Women and ChildWelfare to identify 4,000 Aganwadis, majority of which shouldbe in Bihar that would be adopted by us under the project," hesaid. ‘Nand Ghar’ are quake proof structures constructed inIsraeli style that would impart education to children with thehelp of TVs and internet and also provide packed food to them,he said. Vice-president Hamid Ansari was the chief guest at theprogramme, which was attended by Governor Ramnath Kovind,Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister TejaswiPrasad Yadav. Agarwal was born at Goria Toli in Patna and is analumnus of Miller High School. His group was the first Indiancompany to be listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2003. Vedanta’s Cairn India produces 30 per cent of totaloil in the country while Hindustan Zinc, the world’s secondlargest zinc producer, makes 85 per cent of total zinc. The group has business presence in four continents –Australia, Africa, Europe and Asia — with major businessesoperating in India. PTI SNS KKJM