The proposed integrated steel unit of India's largest private steel maker Tata Steel in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-riddled and country's one of the most poverty-hit districts Bastar, some 300 km south from Raipur, now seems to have slipped under the carpet.
Though Rs42 crore have been allocated to the 1,165 villagers in lieu of their lands acquired by the State Government for Tata Steel's proposed plant, officers and people's representative have also kept mum when the plant will actually come up.
The plant is proposed to come up with a 5.5 million tonnes per annum green-field integrated steel plant in tribal-dominated lohandiguda block of the district for which the company had inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chhattisgarh Government in June 2005.
It was about six years back when land acquisition procedure commenced but Tata Steel is yet to get possession of the land. Government officials say that a total 2,043 hectare of land from 10 villages required and 173 hectare land out of this is Government land and rest of 105 hectare land is covered by forest of small and big bushes and trees.
Total 1,764 hectare of land which comes under the site proposed for the plant is to be acquired. These pieces of land scattered in 10 villages and total 1,707 villagers have the accounts of the land.
Reportedly out of 1,707 account holders, 1,165 have received Rs42 crore 7 lakh 44 thousand and 561. Whereas there are 542 account holders are yet to receive the compensation.
The official sources added that dates for the land acquisition have been twice extended by the Government initially for two years and again it is extended for three more years ie up to 2014. While asked about the progress made by the Government about the land acquisition for Tata Steel's plant, Jagadalpur Collector Albangan P said, "We are working on that issue of giving possession of the acquired land to TATA through, Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC), CSIDC. It will take some more time."
When The Pioneer contacted Tata Steel's official Prabhat Sharma to know the company's view on the huge delay in land takeover process, he remarked "I am busy right now." The Pioneer has also sent a mail to Sharma which has not been answered so far.