A Slew Of Revamped And New Projects

A SLEW OF REVAMPED AND NEW PROJECTS

Chhattisgarh acquiring tribal land for Tata Steel

IANS

8th January 2006

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Industries Minister Rajesh Munat said on Saturday that land acquisition for the Rs 100 billion Tata steel plant in mineral-rich Bastar would begin soon.

The minister said that Chhattisgarh would not commit an Orissa-type error and would compensate the tribals adequately for the land.

Tata Steel, India's largest private sector steel maker, had inked a deal with the Chhattisgarh government in June last year for setting up a five-million tonne per annum integrated steel plant in two phases with a Rs 100 billion investment in the impoverished but mineral-rich Bastar region.

Last week, the tribals of Bastar had refused to hand over land to the state government for setting up the plant.

"We will not allow an Orissa-type massacre in Chhattisgarh. The state government is in the process of unveiling a massive compensation package that would include offer of jobs to families facing displacement due to the new steel plant," Munat said.

He said the district administration had formed village committees comprising local leaders, tribals and intellectuals in Bastar for the "smooth handover of over 5,000- hectare land to Tata Steel".

Meanwhile, the state Congress party plans to observe a day's statewide stir on Monday to protest the killing of 12 tribals in Jajpur district of Orissa.

Leader of opposition in the state assembly Mahendra Karma who was part of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) team that went to probe the killing of the tribals blamed the Orissa police for the "unprovoked firing on tribesmen at Kalinga Nagar".