The state government will vest 270 acres of the 294 acres of land that the JSW Bengal Steel had directly purchased at Salboni and may lease the land to the company thereafter. The state government has asked the company to submit an application, seeking an exemption under section 14Y of the West Bengal Land Reforms Act to hold the 270 acres in its possession, in addition to the 24 acres.
The JSW Bengal Steel which has proposed to set up country’s largest integrated steel plant at Salboni currently has 4,334 acres of land under its possession over there. The company still needs to procure 49 acres of land further for making railway link to the plant site.
JSW Bengal Steel joint managing director and CEO Biswadip Gupta said, “The state land and land reforms department has asked us to submit a fresh application for long term settlement of 270 acres. It has also assured us that the problem would be resolved in one month.”
Earlier in the day, Mr Gupta held a meeting with state land and land reforms secretary R.D. Meena at the Writers’ Buildings. According to the sources at the land and land reforms department, the JSW Bengal Steel did not seek any exemption under section 14Y for holding possession of 270 acres, but the company claimed that it had applied for the exemption twice before.
The West Bengal Land Reforms Act states that no company or individual can hold over 24 acres of land. If anybody wants to holds over 24 acres, the government’s permission is mandatory.