Jharkhand slips in ease of doing business

Jharkhand state's ranking in ease of doing business and luring investors has slipped from third to seventh position, a statement said on Tuesday.

Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) of Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in its website that Jharkhand moved from third position to the seventh place in ease of doing business.

Jharkhand was number one in Labour Regulation Enablers and now it has slipped to fifth position, the statement said, adding the state does not stand in the top five position as far as other parameters like Approval, Licensing and Registration of factories under Factories Act 1948.

The state also stands at fifth position in reform under Single Window, in the availability of land when concerned, and also of online tax return filing. Jharkhand stands on fourth position as far as Access to Information and Transparency Enablers.

Jharkhand is holding Global Investor meet in February next year, though the Opposition parties accuse the Chief Minister Raghubar Das-led government of wasting public money by spending crores of rupees in holding road shows in different cities of the state to lure and invite investors.

Jharkhand Global Investors meet is taking place as the state is facing public outrage over the amendment proposed by the BJP-led government in the two Land Acts and three police firings in a period of two months to protest land acquisition in the state.

"Now reality has been exposed in two years. Not a single penny investment has been made in the state. Raghubar Das government is trying to acquire land at gun point. Investors cannot be fooled. The government has failed to create environment for investment. Investors will run away from the state after knowing the pubic outrage over the land acts," Kishore Sahdeo, Jharkhand Congress General Secretary, told IANS.

The parties are opposing the amendments made by the state government, initiated through ordinance to the Chhottanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act (SPT). They are also voicing anger over the three police firing incidents, including at Barkagaon of Hazaribagh district. The villagers are also protesting the coal block mining of the NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) in the state.

--IANS

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