The news would bring smile even on the face of a pessimist — all 24 districts are ready with land banks and in a position to oblige to the land requirements of department of Industry for obvious purpose — industrialisation of Jharkhand. The confirmation came from the department of Revenue and land Reforms which was asked by Chief Secretary Rajiv Gauba to complete the process of land bank by June 30.
A 200-acre land bank in each district was mooted in the Jharkhand Industrial Policy-2012. However, identification of land could not be done until recently when industrialization became the only choice for the State to address unemployment. According to the draft, efforts were solicited to create a land bank in each district by acquiring a minimum of 200-500 acres and demarcating land as industrial estates with provision of basic industrial infrastructure.“All districts have indentified land and they have communicated to us that land details are ready. Districts are in a position to share details of land available for and required by the department of Industry. These are all government lands,” said Secretary, Revenue and land Reforms, KK Soan.
The land bank is likely to be spread across districts instead of contiguous plots of land as Soan added that the districts are in a position to provide land in chunks out the identified land.Incidentally, State’s top bureaucrat while holding a meeting on industrial policy and promotions in May had also directed the department of Revenue and land Reforms to form a land bank by June 30 in view of the Centre's directive to the States to ease doing business. Emphasis on land banks is also a vital aspect of the Centre's 98 agendas to give a big push to industry.The proposed land bank is likely to have updated district-wise records of government land (gair mazarua), jungle-jhari (fringe forestland, distinct from forestland proper) and other categories.
Meanwhile, the department of Industry expressed satisfaction with the land identification process that has been chugging along since 2012 due to the cumbersome identification process. The Industry department has been apprised with the development to give fillip to industrialization and also bestows an opportunity to wash off the stain of State hostile to industries.
“We have been informed that they (Revenue and land Reforms department) have been able to identify parts of land that are available for land bank. Besides, a lot of movement has also happened on industrial authority as lot of land has been identified for the expansion of industrial authority,” said Secretary, Industry, Himani Pandey.Jharkhand has at present three Industrial Area Development Authorities with head quarters at Adityapur, Bokaro and Ranchi.These authorities are responsible for acquisition of land, development of infrastructure facilities like road, drainage, park, water supply, public utilities, etc. within their jurisdiction.