Thaindian News

Bhubaneswar, Sep 23 (IANS) With 14 greenfield projects — accounting for a combined investment of Rs.200,653 crore — reduced to being non-starters following land acquisition problems, the Orissa government has come down heavily on the promoter-companies.
“If the immediate hinterland is not developed where the unit is proposed to be set up, there is bound be social problems in that area,” said state agriculture minister Damodar Rout at a seminar Tuesday.

“Opposition is likely when outsiders enjoy the fruit of industrialisation and people in the peripheral areas suffer the ills of industry like pollution,” Rout said at the seminar organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Promoters of the 14 greenfield projects have cited local resistance to land acquisition, despite having announced rehabilitation packages, as a major stumbling block to setting up the units.

However, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) doesn’t seem to be impressed.

“Announcing a package is not enough. We need to announce individual packages for each of the displaced,” said BJD MP Pyarimohan Mohapatra at the seminar.

“And announcing jobs for the displaced is not enough. The industrial houses need to develop agro-industry, downstream and ancillary industry in that area,” he added.

On the other hand, industrial houses blame “anti-industry” groups for the delay in project execution, despite adopting best rehabilitation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices.

“We have the best rehabilitation and resettlement packages. We are also adopting best CSR initiatives. It has become a fashion to join anti-industry drive,” rued Binay Kumar Singh, vice president of Tata Steel’s Orissa project.

Incidentally, the company’s proposed six-million-tonne steel plant at Kalinganagar in the state is mired in controversy over land acquisition.