Jharkhand govt assures cos about projects' future

RANCHI: The Jharkhand government on Thursday assured all support to the companies which have signed an MoU with it and are on a take-off stage, to kick-start their projects.

At a review meeting, chaired by industries director Aradhana Patnaik, these companies were asked intensify work on their respective projects. The companies whose performmance was reviewed today are- Tata Steel (brownfield and greenfield), Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), Electrosteel Casting and Jupiter Cement.

The Tata Steel officials, during the meeting, brought to light the difficulties being faced in land acquisition in the greefield project at Manoharpur (Seraikela-Kharsawan). To this, the director immediately called up the concerned deputy commissioner to organise a camp court soon to thrash out all the issues related to land acquisition.

"The company representatives informed the meeting that the expansion work from 5 mt to 6.8 mt has already been completed with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore while the process of expansion from 6.8 mt to 10 mt was going on with proposed investment of Rs 15,000 crore. The company is hopeful of completing this task by 2011-12," said a state official.

The Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) officials informed the meeting that the company was facing some law and order problem at its project site at Patratu. They also raised the issue of widening of the Patratu-Pithoria road for which DPR was ready.

Officials of the Electrosteel Casting, which is setting up a steel plant at Chandankiari (Bokaro), raised the issue of forest department's objection to 90 acre of land, which according to them, was purchased directly from the raiyats. Ms Patnaik assured them that she will speak to the forest secretary in this regard.