The report published in The Telegraph on March 10, 2011

Patna, July 28: The state government has decided to come up with advertisements seeking quotation from landowners keen to sell their plots almost five months after the new land transfer policy identified it as facilitator for negotiating deals between landowners and prospective investors.

The state government would issue advertisements inviting proposals from the landowners. The interested plot owners would have to approach the district administration concerned for giving information about their property.

The industry department, the nodal agency for implementing the first of its kind initiative in the state christened “Come to Bihar”, would handle the nitty-gritty of spotting the land for the investors. The Telegraph had first reported about the government’s initiative on March 10 this year.

According to the provisions of the “Come to Bihar” scheme, landowners willing to sell their plots would have to quote prices. A rider has been put in the scheme to safeguard the investors from unjustified demands of landowners at the time of actual deal. The landowners would have to stick to the rate at least for a year.

The industry department has set the ball rolling for procuring information about the saleable plots. “We have written letters to all the district magistrates (DMs) to make necessary preparations for the implementation of the scheme. We have provided them with the format to collect information about the plots that owners are willing to sell,” the industry department principal secretary, C.K. Mishra, told The Telegraph.

The DMs have been asked to designate officers who would be responsible for receiving applications from landowners willing to sell their land, putting in place a system for verifying the land records as well as setting up cells in districts in which people can come and collect information about the new scheme. The DMs would also be responsible for issuing certificates that the plots being put up for sale are free from any litigation.

“Once we have the system in place in the districts, advertisements would be placed through different mediums to make people aware of the new initiative,” Mishra said.

He said vetted information received from the districts would be uploaded on the official website of Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (Biada) and a link would be added to the website using which those interested in purchasing a particular piece of land can dig out its details like area, location and its price.

“We expect to upload the first lot of information by August end,” the principal secretary said.

The state government is upbeat about its move and feels that it would lead to a peaceful transfer of land from landowners to prospective investors, but those in the business have varied opinions.

“The government’s initiative is praiseworthy but in a state like Bihar where land has become a scarce commodity, one would have to wait and watch before speaking anything about the success of this scheme,” Bihar Industries Association vice-president S.K. Patwari said.

He said with phenomenal increase in land prices, only those with compulsions would sell their land. The rest would like to hold back plots for more appreciation of the value of their property, he said.

Member of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Satyajit Singh is apprehensive about the success of the scheme on some different grounds. “At least two acres of land is required for setting up a small industrial unit. As average holding size of land is less than an acre in Bihar, it would be really tough for prospective investors to find contiguous plots put up for sale,” he said.

The CII office-bearer also expressed doubt over quick verification of land records.

Those responsible for carrying out this job, however, do not appear much impressed with Singh’s apprehension over the record verification.