land grabbing and encroachment incidents are common in Jharkhand which is on rise in industrial town Bokaro. Beside others several big and small industrial houses are also involved in such practice.
About 77 acres of land found missing with Bokaro Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) has been illegally occupied by many industrial houses, recent survey (measurements of land) reveals. This is an estimated a loss in several hundred crores of rupees to BIADA, said an official adding “our survey are still continuing”.
In a major crackdown Bokaro JAYPEE Cement Plant (BOJCP) found with grabbing of 16.73 acres of BIADA’s land (15 acres of land outside its plant and 1.73 acres inside the plant). Company paid nothing for the extra land created an estimated loss of Rs 3 crore, said the official. BIADA allotted 62 acres of land to JAYPEE Cement in the year 2009; now found with illegal constructions on 15 acres out side its plant and about 17.3 acres in inside the plant, said Robin Toppo, secretary BIADA adding “BOJCP paid nothing for the extra land”.
Notably, the commercial production at BOJCP — a joint venture company of SAIl, Bokaro Steel Plant (BSl) started in May 2011 having 2.1 million tonne production capacity to produce cement using slag. In the year 2008 Steel Authority of India limited (SAIl) signed a agreement with Jaypee Associates limited (JAl) to establish a cement-related joint venture business.
“A notice has been served in this connection to the BOJCP authority on 16 December”, added Toppo. We have launched a massive land measurement campaign to identify the companies who has encroached our lands, he said. “Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCl) also found with grabbing of extra 2 acres of land”, added Toppo.
With an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore HPCl established its depot with a capacity of 43,000 kilo litres at Balidhi in Bokaro to serve-up a vast area, sources said. “We have also served notice to the HPCl authority”, added Toppo.