Rourkela: Sundargarh, once regarded as the hub of industrialisation in Odisha, is witnessing the flight of entrepreneurs from the district. The main reasons cited by them are lack of land, organised environment groups, and above all lack of government support on many issues. Sunil Kayal, president of the Rourkela Chamber of Commerce and Industries (RCCI), was of the opinion that land remains the biggest issue. “This is a scheduled district and you cannot purchase or take on lease or rent land from the tribal. Then how do we get it because there is not enough government land or land owned by the general caste available,” said Kayal. The dawn of the millennium saw the entry of one medium unit in the name of Adhunik Steel and now Liberty Steel. Besides, the district witnessed the sponge iron units’ growth as at one point in time there were over 42 such plants functioning.
Now, Liberty Steel is not operating at its full capacity and the majority of sponge iron units have shut down. One of the sponge iron unit owners said, “Apart from other reasons, we dread the appearance of environmental groups or activists. They are like organised gangs and act like extortionists.” Another industrialist who has a unit in neighbouring Chhattisgarh said, “The government is promoting Western Corridor for industries and the advertisement promises a 3,000-acre land bank. I am from Sundargarh. Where is the land available from that mentioned bank if someone wants to set up a plant in this district?” Reacting to this Kayal said, “I saw a tribal lady asking for money at Sundargarh Collectorate and she owns thirty acres of land. The big irony is she cannot do anything and at the same time she cannot sell it or lease it.” Tribal land can be sold or leased only when the person holding it is in need of urgent medical attention, explained a lawyer about the intricacies of the law. “And again the person must keep five acres of land with himself and the rest he can sell. And if someone has less or just that much land then what?” he asked. Another former president of RCCI Binod Sharma said, “The government should intervene here with a little change of laws as it did in the case of highway construction. Pay them four times the land cost and all transactions should take place through banks as is happening these days.” Many agreed with his idea and one added, “These days you cannot hide things as easily as was happening before. So this can be done. We are ready to pay four times the land cost but where is the land?”
RAJESH MOHANTY, OP