Private players from across the country who had signed MoUs with the Jharkhand government since the constitution of the new state (Jharkhand) bifurcating Bihar in 2000 are now a deeply discontent lot
Senior officials from leading industrial houses like Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Abhijeet Infrastructure Private Limited, JSW Steel Limited, Bhusan Power and Steel Limited and Usha Martin met the Union minister for corporate and minority affairs Salman Khurshid in the state capital recently and apprised him of the state government’s apathetic attitude towards the implementation of the terms and conditions of MoUs.
During discussion with the minister, representatives of the investors alleged that ninety nine per cent of investors who signed MoUs could not launch proposed projects because of the state government's failure to provide land. Besides, they pointed out that the state’s law and order position was being aggravated day by day.
The minister assured them that the Centre would soon take up their problems with the state government and asked the companies to form a common platform to raise their grievances against the inordinate delay in implementing the MoUs by the state government.
Sources in the department of industries told Business Standard that the Jharkhand government had signed 71 MoUs with investment proposals of Rs 2,95,857.75 crore with the private players to set up industrial projects in different parts of the state.
However,after 2006, the state’s industries department did not prepare the list indicating requirement of total land for the 71 MoUs. The department had prepared only one list in September, 2006, showing the requirement of land to the extent of 98,547 acres for the 55 MoUs signed between 2004-06. Meanwhile, chief minister Shibu Soren said in the budget session of the Assembly that the state had a rehabilitation and resettlement policy since 2008 and under this policy the state government could help the investors in setting up their plants.
