Paradip, Jan. 24: Steps are under way to end the five-decade-old imbroglio over transfer of land to Paradip Port Trust (PPT).

“We are optimistic that the long-pending issue would be amicably settled shortly. The state government has responded positively to our request for expeditious transfer of land to the port,” said G.J. Rao, chairman of the PPT.

“The matter has been discussed with the chief minister Naveen Patnaik. His response was positive,” he said.

“We are hopeful that the state govt would transfer land to the port trust during the golden jubilee year of its establishment. The matter has been considerably delayed. Now, hopefully it would move in the right direction with regard to the land transfer issue,” said Rao. The port, built in 1961, is celebrating its golden jubilee this year.

The Rs 506 crore deep draught iron ore terminal is expected to start from this year on build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. The project forms the major part of port’s expansion programme. “It has already received clearance from the environment ministry. We are also expecting the accordance of forest clearance to the project by the union government shortly,” he said.

The state government and the PPT are still locked in a five-decade-old tug of war over transfer of 6,382.07 acres.

Sources in the PPT said it has lawful ownership of the land. Several committees have been constituted in the past to resolve the issue. The state government is laying its claim on specific patches of land for state government offices and residential quarters.

The late Biju Pattnaik had tried to solve the deadlock by constituting a high-power committee. As asked by the committee on 1992, the PPT had paid Rs 27 lakh land premium and Rs 39 crore more towards the land cost for final transfer of land. But land transfer could not be finalised then as the state had sought some land for its exclusive use.