A Mumbai-based firm's plan to set up a maritime institute is stuck, as the authorities are yet to hand over land promised to the investor.

The project would have attracted Rs 70 crore investments in Bihar. The firm first indicated its interest to invest in Bihar during a Global Bihar meet in Mumbai in 2007 where chief minister Nitish Kumar had interacted with potential investors. Nalin B. Pandey, who is from Samastipur district and is the chairman-cum-managing director of Mumbai-based Pentagon Marine Services, decided to set up an institution to impart education in different kind of marine courses in Bihar.

"If established, this will be the first maritime institute in Bihar. Around two years back, Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (Biada) allotted us 10 acres of land in Bihta, close to the IIT campus. All required paper work was done but until now, because of some reasons, we are yet to get physical possession of land. Projects go through delays and we are hopeful the state will help us, but we are getting jittery," Pandey said today.

"We have had talks with officials as well as former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi over this issue. We had been assured that all problems and regulatory hurdles would be resolved soon. Now that the IIT-Patna main campus has become a reality, we hope and are positive the state government's attention would turn to us too," Pandey said.

The acquired land in Bihta, around 40km southwest of Patna, has time and again run into problems. Back in 2007-2008, the state government had acquired 799 acres in Bihta to set up a mega industrial-cum-educational hub. The problem began in 2013 when landowners started protesting, saying they were getting varying amounts as compensation. Construction work of the IIT's main campus, too, was stalled more than once.

"We run a maritime college in Mumbai and train, on an average, 2,000 students each year. And many of them are from Bihar. With the institution opening here, it will provide great opportunities to Bihar-based students interested in merchant navy and other maritime jobs," Pandey said.

A Biada official said: "They'd been allotted land in Dumri area of Bihta. But landowners are demanding revised rates and our attempts to negotiate have failed so far. However, negotiations are on. Once the process is complete, things should be fine." Industries minister Shyam Rajak, too, assured the matter would be looked into.

Pandey was quoted by PTI as saying: "When I visited London last week, to receive an international award along with Lord Karan Bilimoria, many British-Asian investors expressed their desire to invest in Bihta. The global investors will lose faith in Bihar if the local government does not deliver an already-allotted land at Bihta to many entrepreneurs like me. These investors will shift their projects to other states and it will be bad luck for Bihar"

Pandey said his plan was to start four diplomas as well as degree courses on post-sea, pre-sea, maritime laws and business and management, varying from one to four years.