Govt to acquire 5,000 hectares of land for industries in Naxal-hit Gadchiroli: Uday Samant

Uday Samant. File Pic

The Maharashtra government plans to acquire 5,000 hectares of land in Gadchiroli district, affected by Left Wing Extremism, for industrial development, Industries Minister Uday Samant said on Friday, reported news agency PTI.

He made the announcement during a review meeting of the industries department and the District Planning Committee, reported PTI.

Samant highlighted the interest of several major industrial houses in establishing their units in Gadchiroli which has created the need for substantial land acquisition, reported PTI.

The minister informed about the proposed Rs 22,000-crore investments by companies like Lloyds Metals and Varad Ferro in the district, for which he said, MoUs have been signed and notifications are set to be published soon, reported PTI.

Plans to acquire land for new industries were outlined at the meeting, covering areas like Chamorshi, Mulchera, Armori and Sironcha, totalling approximately 5,000 hectares, he said, reported PTI.

Ambuja Cement, JSW and other companies have expressed willingness to set up units in Gadchiroli which would position the district among the top five in the state in terms of industrial development, said Samant, reported PTI.

To support employment initiatives and industrial projects, an Udyog Bhawan will be constructed at Gadchiroli with an investment of Rs 14 crore, he added, reported PTI.

Earlier, Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant on Thursday said big ticket investment projects did not move to other states during the tenure of the Eknath Shinde government, reported PTI.

Opposition parties routinely accuse the Shinde government of losing mega projects like the semi-conductor plant of Vedanta-Foxconn, the Tata-AirBus joint venture and the Bulk Drugs Park to other states, primarily Gujarat, reported PTI.

Talking to reporters, Samanat also dismissed the opposition's charge that the Diamond Bourse in Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai was being moved to Surat in Gujarat, reported PTI.

Any one businessman going to Gujarat for business expansion does not mean the entire gems and jewellery park has moved to the neighbouring state, he countered, reported PTI.

On the contrary, the country's biggest gems and jewellery park is coming up in Navi Mumbai and it can generate 50,000 jobs, Samant asserted, reported PTI.

"We tabled a White Paper in the last session of the state legislature, which proved the three projects did not move to other states during our tenure. The White Paper is authentic," he said, reported PTI.

"I had asked (the opposition) to produce proof if anyone had anything more than what was mentioned in the White Paper, but no one came forward," he added, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)