CM can't resolve Kute deadlock

Jawans keep vigil at the proposed site in Ranchi on Wednesday. (Hardeep Singh)

The state failed to break the deadlock over core capital project in Kute as chief minister Hemant Soren’s meeting with a delegation of villagers, under the banner of Jankalyan Samiti, at his office in Ranchi on Thursday was inconclusive.

Groundwork had come to a grinding halt on Wednesday when villagers staged protests at the proposed site.

The Thursday meeting called in the aftermath of the stir saw the participation of Hatia MLA Naveen Jaiswal, former deputy mayor Ajay Nath Shahdeo, chief secretary R.S. Sharma, principal secretary Sukhdeo Singh, building construction department secretary Raj Bala Verma, revenue secretary J.B. Tubid and DC Vinay Kumar Choubey.

MLA Jaiswal, who led Wednesday’s protests, asked Hemant to work on the project without displacing a single person. Samiti president Ratan Tirkey, however, challenged the state’s authority to carry out construction on the proposed site, which has been carved out of HEC township, saying it amounted to violation of rights of original land owners.

“According to Shandilya committee’s recommendation, the unused land of HEC has to be returned to its original owners. If the state wants the project to come up on such unutilised acres, it should first return the same to the villagers and let them take a final call on whether they want to give up their plots,” Tirkey said.

As Jaiswal and Tirkey gave contradictory suggestions, the chief minister failed to arrive at a conclusive decision.

Hemant has called for another meeting on Saturday.