State receives investment proposals worth `3 lakh cr

OVER 200 Memorandum of Understanding (Mous) and Letters of Intent (Lois) were signed for a total investment of more than Rs 3 lakh crore on the second day of Momentum Jharkhand —the state’s maiden Global Investors’ Summit (GIS). Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das pressed hard to convince investors that the state meant business.

In his valedictory address, Das said: “The red carpet you are seeing now will remain spread forever. 24 hours of the day, the doors of my government are open for you.”

Das added said that proposals for various manufacturing units were made by a Chinese delegation. “I have already sent them to identify land. In fact, I have asked two others also to identify land, which is not going to be a problem.”

Later, to a query on some stakeholders not being on board over proposed amendments to the tenancy laws in the state, Das said: “There is no problem. You bring me the investor and I will give him land.”

According to official figures, a total of 210 Mous were signed with a total investment proposal of Rs 3,10,287 crore with at least nine departments, including agriculture, energy, health & medical education, urban development, transport, IT and housing. Together, these investment proposals can employ a total of 6.03 lakh persons, both directly and indirectly.

The Chief Minister also gave ‘land allotment letters’ to 13 entities totaling over 136 acres and with an investment potential of Rs 45,559 crore. These were from the pending proposals in the last three to four months.

Das said that, out of the 210 proposals, 172 worth Rs 89,496 crore were for sectors like agriculture, food processing, textile, skill development, footwear and IT. “These proposals are likely to begin getting implemented within one year and production would start within two years. The other proposals would be implemented over a period of three to five years. These would be long term projects,” he said.

The Chief Minister further claimed that the textile cluster would begin functioning within the next few months in Lohardaga and he would bring at least 600 young Jharkhand women working in places like Gurgaon back to their native place.

“Big industries were always there in Jharkhand. The Tatas were there; there was Bokaro Steel; there was HEC. But then, why the people remained poor? Why there was migration? We need to create more jobs and that is why we have focused on MSME sectors. We have gone for investment for proposals ranging Rs 4 crore to Rs 400 crore and even beyond,” said Das.