Bhubaneswar, Aug 29 (KNN) The Odisha Government is set to develop a salt cluster in Ganjam district of coastal Odisha.

According to a media report, the State Additional Secretary of MSME Department, BB Behera, said the government will first identify the problems of salt industries before taking any final steps to develop infrastructure for cluster development.

Behera said the proposal to set up slat cluster was recently discussed at a meeting chaired by Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) department secretary, GK Dhal, who directed the director of industries to take immediate steps to develop a salt cluster.

Managing director of Odisha Small Industries Corporation (OSIC), Partha Sarathi Mishra, who was present at the meeting, suggested the government to frame a salt policy for development of salt industries in the state.

The president of salt manufacturers' association, Sanjay Modi said the development of a salt cluster will help in the upliftment of the industry.

Modi placed a series of demands at the meeting for improvement of salt industries, which included, among others, banning of unauthorized fishing activities in the salt fields of Surla-Sumandi belt. He also asked the department to help salt industries in digging up of borewell for getting sub-soil brine.