Ranchi, Oct 5 (IANS) A day after a noted British paper said steel giant ArcelorMittal was close to pulling out of its proposed steel projects in Jharkhand and Orissa, the Jharkhand government Monday said it had not received any communication from the steel maker in this regard.
“We have no information that ArcelorMittal is planning to wind up its greenfield steel project in the state,” Jharkhand Industries Secretary N.N. Sinha told IANS.

Many industrial projects including the one by ArcelorMittal are facing land acquisition problems in the state, he said, adding: “But the state government is trying to resolve this problem.”

British daily Financial Times Sunday quoted ArcelorMittal chairman Lakshmi N. Mittal as saying his company may pull out of the $20-billion plan to build greenfield steel projects in Jharkhand and Orissa.

Mittal said if the land acquisition problems were not resolved soon, the company would look for alternative sites for the projects.

ArcelorMittal has selected 11,000 acres to set up the proposed 12-million-tonne steel plant in the bordering Khuti and Gumla districts of Jharkhand.

However, the company faced strong resistance from local residents, who formed an anti-displacement organisation, Jharkhand Visthapit Virodhi Sangh (JVVD), to spearhead the protest against land acquisition.

Meanwhile, JVVD has welcomed Mittal’s statement.

“If Mittal wants to pull out of the Jharkhand project, then we welcome that move,” said JVVD president Dayamani Barla.

In Jharkhand, at least six greenfield steel projects are hanging in balance as the villagers are opposing land acquisition.