'Reliance not cooperating in mill takeover'

The Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL) is not  responding positively in connection with the contract awarded to it for revival of the closed sugar mill at Motipur in Bihar's Muzaffapur district, according to state Industry minister Gautam Singh.

Replying to a short-notice question of Shakeel Ahmed Khan (RJD), Singh said the state government had assigned the job of bidding for the closed state-run sugar mills to the SBI-CAP.

The RIL had emerged successful and was awarded the contract for revival of the sugar mills for which it had to pay Rs 55 crore to the state government while taking up the liabilities related to employees, he said.

The minister said the private sector giant had so far paid Rs 5.5 crore out of Rs 55 crore and since then it was not cooperating with the state government ''as not a single official of the company had visited us for the takeover process.''

"We have issued a notice to the RIL seeking to know its stand and if it failed to respond positively we will go in for fresh tender process for the mill'', he informed.

"The delay in the decision by the RIL has delayed the clearance of dues of the employees of Motipur sugar mill+, he said, adding land related problems would be resolved if the company officials showed interest in taking over the mill.