Finish project or we take back land, Mamata Banerjee threatens Jindal

SALBONI: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday warned Jindal Steel Works (JSW) that unless it completes its steel plant project in Salboni, West Midnapore, the state government would take back all 4,000 acres acquired for it.

In 2007, JSW had signed an agreement with the then Left Front government to build a 10-million tonne steel plant and a 1,620 MW power plant in Salboni. At Rs 35,000 crore, it is the biggest proposed investment in the state, but there isn't much progress despite an ultimatum from the Trinamool government in March last year.

On Monday, Mamata sent a strong message to the Jindals: "If there is any further delay in implementing the project, we will take action. Acquired land cannot be left idle like this. Till the company meets its obligation under the land acquisition agreement, it should pay Rs 5,000 a month to each land-loser family."

Mamata remarked that a "lot of land" had been acquired for the project and "several small and medium factories can come up here". "The 400-odd land losers have submitted a memorandum to me. Under the agreement, they were to be given jobs at the plant after production started.

But the project itself is far from completion, giving jobs to land-losers is a far cry. The land losers have been agitating against delay. Once they overpowered the guard and forced their way into the project area," Mamata said at a function in Salboni's Godapiyasal to launch 47 projects in West Midnapore.

JSW Bengal joint MD Biswadip Gupta said, "We are committed to this project. The Group has invested around Rs 1,000 crore. Now, we are waiting for iron ore linkages. Meanwhile, we are ready to set up an integrated power plant for which we have already submitted a proposal to the state government."