Bhubaneswar, Jun 1 (IANS): Tata Steel's Kalinganagar plant has generated direct and indirect employment opportunities for more than 21,000 persons, said a statement on Friday.

The plant, which commenced commercial production in May 2016, has attained the rated capacity of 3 million tonne per annum.

By April this year, the project generated employment opportunities for 21,955 persons. This includes direct employment for 3,611 persons and indirect (contractual) employment for 18,344 persons, the statement added.

This is considered important at a time when most of the industries located in Kalinganagar Industrial Complex have been facing a tough time and are laying off workers and labourers.

While 59.62 per cent of the total employees engaged directly by Tata Steel are from Odisha, 80.71 per cent of the total contractors' workforce working for Tata Steel belong to the state, the statement said.

Importantly, 22.76 per cent (822) of employees engaged directly by Tata Steel and 32.07 per cent (5,884) of the total contractors' workforce working for the company belong to Jajpur district, where the steel plant has been set up, it said.

Tata Steel is also promoting employability training of local youths in a major way. Skill development training for placements and self-employment are being provided through Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS).

To provide a source of livelihood to unemployed youths of the Kalinganagar, Tata Steel sends them for skill development training to reputed institutes. In the last four years, 358 youths were imparted skilling across various sectors.

A new Skill Development Centre has also been set up at the Capability Development Training Centre located in Plot-2 of Tata Steel Kalinganagar. It has started with Suryamitra training on solar panel installation, maintenance and repair for local youths in collaboration with Salt Lake Institute of Engineering and Management- Kolkata.