Jamshedpur : A delegation of ASIA, the oldest and largest industry outfit in Jharkhand led by its president Inder Agarwal, met K. Ravi Kumar, director of state industries department to register their protest against AIADA�s land allotment policy.
ASIA general secretary Santosh Khetan said that they want food processing sector to get priority for plot allotment in the industrial zone. But, Aiada’s new draft policy pushes mega projects in focus sectors electronics and hardware (electronics systems, design and manufacturing).
The officials said that they would approach Chief Minister Raghubar Das towards the anomalous policy of the AIADA shortly. The functionaries have said that they will meet the Chief Minister, and if the problem is not resolved, then they would draw strategy for agitation.
AIADA which the statutory body working on behalf of the state industry development has decided that the allotment of land to the entrepreneurs will be made through bidding.
“The traders have been informed that as per the AIADA’s new policy in land allotment, the highest bidder for any particular plot of land will be allotted the land. But as there is already crisis of industrial land, we want that the land allotment should be made keeping in view the viability of the project,” an official.
According to information about 70 odd projects are hanging fire in the absence of adequate land for the projects to take off on the ground. Meanwhile, Adityapur Small Industries Association’s president SN Thakur said that there are over 1200 industrial units, including medium-scale units exist in Adityapur and Gamharia under the AIADA.
He said that several entrepreneurs are forced to look beyond Jharkhand due to lack of availability of plot.
Steps should be taken to increase easy availability of land to the industrialists. This will be a great achievement and will prove boon towards development of State of Jharkhand especially Kolhan.
Sources informed that the Adityapur Industrial Area Development Authority of the total 2,923 acre is now looking forward to for its expansion, around 2,076 acres comprising six villages falls in nearby Gamharia while another 226 acres is located a little further away at Seraikela, another piece of around 621 acres of land is at Bahragora adjacent to East Singhbhum.
It may be noted that the sprawling Adityapur Industrial Area houses 1200 units- including 11 large-scale, 64 small scale and 166 tiny industries.
A few important industries that has global presence are Usha Martin Group, RSB Group, Tata Steel Growth Shop(TGS) etc., too situated in this industrial belt, situated in Seraikela-Kharsawan. There are 20 industries, which export its products to the USA, Australia and other European countries.
Meanwhile, the AIADA managing director, Jugal Kishore Chowbey confirmed that they have decided to start bidding system in the land allotment for setting up industrial units.
” Its not our decision but the new system was introduced in the light of a Jharkhand High Court order following the board meeting of AIADA a week ago,” said Chowbey.