Bhubaneswar, Oct 2 (IANS) Orissa’s single window clearance committee Friday cleared 16 new project proposals of Rs.6,500 crore, an official said.

The projects proposals by 16 private companies were cleared by the committee led by Chief Secretary B.K.Patnaik, state Industries Secretary Saurabh Garg told IANS.

The projects are in steel, cement, food processing, down stream industries and ancillary sector, he said. The companies who proposed the investment in identified locations of the state included Larsen & Toubro, and Emami Paper mills, he said.

‘Some projects will come up within one year after signing of the pacts with the state government, some will come up within three to four years time’, Garg said adding that the projects will bring employment potential for about 35,000 people.

With the approval by the state level single window clearance committee, the companies are now eligible to sign initial pacts with the government for their projects and apply for other necessary clearances, he said.

The state government has received investment proposals worth Rs.7.8 lakh crore during the past five years and of them investment proposals of Rs.4.5 lakh crore have been cleared by the single window committee so far, Garg said.