Wednesday, July 12 2006 17:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda is planning to meet steel baron Lakshmi N. Mittal in London to discuss how the state government can remove the bottlenecks of the proposed steel plant project.

"The chief minister wants to meet Mittal in London to discuss the project and we are in the process of getting a visa for him," said a senior government official here Wednesday.

Munda is scheduled to leave on an 11-day tour to the US Friday. He intends to go to London on his way back.

During his visit to neighbouring Orissa July 7, Mittal had expressed unhappiness over the progress of the Rs.400-billion ($8.6 billion) project in Jharkhand. He also announced a proposal to set up a 12 million-tonne steel plant in Orissa.

In the wake of Mittal's remark, the sate government has expedited the work on the project.

The government has already furnished a list of mines to Mittal Steel. The company, however, wants Chiria mines, which is with the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) - with which the government is fighting a legal battle in Jharkhand High Court.

The government officials point out that unless the legal battle is over the government cannot commit to give the mines.

The Mittal Steel had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Jharkhand government last year.