Jharkhand govt not to acquire land for pvt players

Jharkhand, under President rule since June this year, has made it clear to prospective mega investors that the state would not acquire any private land for them for setting up their projects in the state.

The state government has categorically told investors who signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with the state to purchase private land first and thereafter approach the state for project related statutory clearances.

It may be mentioned that Jharkhand has so far signed 73 MoUs with a total investment of over Rs 3,00,000 crore with the private players to set up industrial projects in the state.

The state industries department in September 2006, compiled a list indicating a requirement of 98,547 acres of land for the 55 MoUs signed between 2004-06. Thereafter the department did not make any compilation for the rest MoUs signed after 2006.

Meanwhile, at a high-level meeting held in the state capital recently chaired by governor’s adviser VS Dubey, 16 MoUs with a total investment of over Rs 2,00,000 crore signed between 2003 and 2007 were reviewed.

Progress made by investors like ArcelorMittal Tata Steel, Essar Steel, Jindal Steel Private Ltd (JSPL), Monnet Ispat, Hindalco Industries, Bhushan Power & Steel, Adhunic Alloys & Power Limited and among others was highlighted in the review meeting.

In the review meeting the concerned industries were instructed to directly purchase between 200 to 500 acres of land from private land owners before October this year as most of the industries could not make any ground works for their projects.

It was revealed in the review meeting that only Congress MP Naveen Jindal’s JSPL had been able to start production from the Balkudra steel mill at Patratu by acquiring over 500 acres land of the ailing BASL.