<p>The much-awaited new industrial policy which was being worked out during the period of the President’s Rule of the state will see the light of day sometime April this month. The state industry secretary AP Singh told Business Standard that the law department had already cleared the draft industrial policy and it was now being examined by the state’s finance department.
Jharkhand had signed as many as 71 MoUs with private players for investment of around Rs 2,95,858 crore to set up industrial projects.
But merely 13 companies could manage to start work with a cumulative investment of Rs 1,600 crore during last 10 years. Industry secretary said, “When th00e state’s first industrial policy was announced in 2002, there had been wide response from the industrial houses to invest in the state taking advantage of huge raw materials of the state. However, land had become the major bottleneck for the MoUs signatories. “
Singh denied that in MoUs , there had been a commitment from the state government’s behalf that the state would provide required land for the industries. But the fact was in the MoUs it had been mentioned that the state government would facilitate the MoUs signatories in purchasing land.
Industry secretary said in the matter of Tata Steel’s 12-millon ton greenfield steel project in Kharswan-Seralikela district, state government committed to provide land forTata’s greenfield project.
Singh said that intially, Tata Steel had sought 25,000 acres of land for their greenfield steel project. However, during President’s Rule in Jharkhand, the then advisor of the state Governor, V S Dube held a meeting on August 19, 2010 with the officials of e Tatas, where Tata Steel reduced their land requirement to 4,000 to 5,000 acres.
Even after 19th August.2010, meeting, 3 – 4 meetings with the Tata Steel representatives were held where the steel giant did not raise their land problem. It might be Tata Steel had applied for the land to the deputy commissioner, Kharswan-Seraikela for their revised requirement of land., the secretary added.
However,during past ten years, land acquisition for industrial ventureremains a constant challenge that was experienced by eight coalition Governments since the born of the state in November, 2000.The new industrial policy would be industry-friendly, the secretary said.In the meantime, Jharkhand industry department has cancelled 27 MoUs.
The MoU of Sesa Goa was also cancelled after an order from the chief minister. The company could not make any headway in setting up their proposed 0.4 MTPA capacity steel mill in the state. Ten more MoUs werein the process of cancellation, industry secretary said.
