Congress MLA demands cancellation of land to Tatas in Orissa

Bhubaneswar,Oct 10 (UNI) Senior Congress leader Umesh Swain today demanded the Orissa government to cancel around 8000 acres of land allotted to TATA company at various places in the state to put up industrial units for its refusal to set up Nano car project in the state.

Mr Swain also demanded the state government to cancel the Joda east and West iron ore lease given to the company.

The Congress leader said many states including Orissa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,and Gujarat had proposed the company to set up the Nano car project in their states after Tata withdrew its the project from Singur in West Bengal.

But after assessing the project sites in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka the company signed an MoU with the Gujarat government to set up the project at Sanand near Ahmedabad.

Though Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written a letter to Tata motors Chairman Ratan Tata to set up the project in Orissa the company did not accept it.

He said the iron ore mines Badampahar, Goru Mahisani, Suleipat, Joda East and West and the Chromite mines of Sukinda helped Tata to establish itself in the world forum.

The company took iron ore from Orissa in 1906 at the rate of two paise per ton for its steel plant at Jamshedpur. In between1965 and 68 it took iron ore at a very cheap rate and became owner of crores of rupees.

Similarly the company was taking chromite from Orissa almost free of cost while its costs more than Rs 15000 per ton in the international market.

Mr Swain said in 1998 Tata acquired 3700 acres of land from farmers to set up a steel plant at Gopalpur but set up an ITI.

He said Tata was allotted 3700 acres of land at Gopalpur,4000 acres at Kalinganagr and 200 acres of land in the capital city Bhubaneswar.

While the TATA established itself in the industrial sector in the international arena with the minerals from Orissa it had not contributed anything for the progress and the development of the state,the Congress MLA said Since iron ore was available plantily many companies were interested to set up polluting industrial units like steel plants but not pollution free projects like nano car project.

Mr Swain urged the Chief Minister to cancel the land and mines lease given to TATA and take over the ownership of the land and mines from the company.

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