The Naveen Patnaik Government’s failure to assist companies in acquiring land has delayed the implementation of 14 mega industrial projects.
Top executives from prominent companies such as Posco-India, Tata Steel, ArcelorMittal India Ltd, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd, SSL Energy Ltd, Uttam Galva Steels Ltd, Essar Steel Orissa Ltd, Bhusan Power & Steel Ltd, Aditya Aluminium Ltd, Welspun Power & Steel Ltd, Vedanta Aluminium Ltd, Jindal India Thermal Power Ltd, and Bhushan Steel Ltd convened for a critical meeting.
The 14 projects collectively proposed investments of Rs 2 lakh crore, yet only Rs 21,031.71 crore has been invested so far. Despite the requirement of 45,607 acres for these projects, the State Government has allotted a mere 14,131.90 acres to date.
Most companies have been unable to take possession of the land for their respective projects primarily due to opposition from local residents who are facing displacement. Additional challenges include the availability of water, the supply of power, and handling rehabilitation and resettlement.
The Minister instructed senior Government officials to address the problems confronting the industries and also advised the companies to accelerate the land acquisition process.