Jamshedpur, July 10: The Adityapur Industrial Area Development Authority (Aiada) is on an expansion spree.

For the first time in nearly two decades, the government-managed nodal agency has set the ball rolling to acquire a huge amount of additional land to give fillip to Adityapur, the most important industrial zone in the state.

Aiada sources said managing director Vandana Dadel has issued a public notice informing the agency?s decision to bring under its control nearly 1,000 acres of rayiati land in Gamahria and Kandra areas of Seraikela-Kharsawan district.

?We have invited written objections from local residents about Aiada?s move to include nearly 1,000 acres of land under its jurisdiction. After sorting out the objections, if any, within a month, Aiada will bring the land under its direct control and then acquire it,? said an official. Aiada has so far acquired about 4293.5 acres of land where more than 1,130 industrial plots have been set up. But of late, the nodal agency is facing a severe scarcity of land that was preventing it from giving its nod to big investment project proposals.

Late last year, Aiada had written to the state government requesting it to allow the agency to bring more land under its control so that it could overcome the problem and cater to industrialists interested in the zone. ?Around a month ago, the state industries department gave its nod to Aiada to bring additional land under its control to attract fresh investments,? said an official.

Aiada secretary H.N. Ram confirmed that the nodal agency has issued a public notice on getting 1,000 acres of land. ?There are vast stretches of vacant land within the 1,000 acres that Aiada is going to bring under its control. We will utilise it for establishing new industrial units,? he said.

Aiada sources indicated that a major portion of the land that it is going to bring under its control would be utilised for projects like setting up of an industrial park, something that is hanging fire for over a year due to paucity of land.

Industrialists have welcomed the decision to acquire additional land and hoped the move would hasten the process of industrialisation in Adityapur. ?We have been appealing to Aiada repeatedly to acquire fresh land so that proper industrialisation can take place. With this fresh acquisition, the industrialisation process in Adityapur will get the right impetus,? said Adityapur Small Industries Association general secretary Gurudas Ray.

However, a section of Aiada officials is apprehensive that acquisition of fresh land could turn out to be a ?cumbersome? exercise as those residing in these areas could offer stiff resistance. ?The compensation rate that Aiada would give would be according to government norms, which is much below the existing market rates,? said Aiada sources.