Bhubaneswar, Feb. 25: More than 13 acres in the Mancheswar Industrial Estate here lie encroached upon at a time when entrepreneurs are struggling to find land to set up industries.
Industries minister Debi Prasad Mishra told the Assembly that 25.443 acres were lying vacant in the Mancheswar Industrial Estate, while 32.238 acres lying unused at Chandaka Industrial Estate - both located in Bhubaneswar.
"Of the vacant land, 13.243 acres have been encroached upon by slum dwellers. Steps have been taken to evict the encroachers through the task force constituted by the state government," said Mishra in response to a question from Congress legislator Bhujabal Majhi. Land in the two industrial estates is allotted on the recommendation of a high-level land allotment committee, headed by the chief secretary.
The application for industrial land is first scrutinised by the state-level Single Window Clearance Authority and then referred to the land allotment committee. There have been allegations that the industrial sheds and plots allotted to entrepreneurs are not being utilised for the intended purpose. The Comptroller and Auditor General has pr-eviously pointed out such lapses. The government has decided to review allotment and retrieve land that has not been used for industrial purposes.
The state government's Industrial Policy Resolution, 2015, has reiterated giving infrastructure support to set up industries. A land bank has been created to make land readily available to investors for the establishment of industries.
Mishra said the government had acquired land through the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation for 39 steel projects, six aluminium projects, 23 power projects, Paradip oil refinery and a proposed auto ancillary project in Tangi Choudwar of Cuttack district between 2006 and 2016.
He said the government had signed MoUs with 52 industrial houses during the last decade (2006-16) for establishment of industries. Prominent among them were Arcelor Mittal, Vedanta Aluminium, Jindal Steel & Power, Bhushan Energy, Tata Power, Visa Power and Sesa Sterlite.
However, Arcelor Mittal has withdrawn from its proposedsteel plant project in Keonjhar district because of delays in land acquisition.
The Posco steel plant project, the MoU for which was signed in June 2005, ran into rough weather following resistance by displaced people and subsequent changes in the mines lease grant policy.
