Land sale to JSW Steel: CM HD Kumaraswamy wants subject placed before Cabinet again

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday asked Deputy CM G Parameshwara and Industries Minister KJ George to re-submit the subject related to sale of land to JSW Steel to the Cabinet for detailed discussion in view of protests by the BJP.

He discussed the issue with the two senior ministers and, asked them to bring it before the Cabinet. The steel unit, contrilled by billionnaire Sajjan Jindal, has been caught in the political crossfire between the JD(S)-Congress coalition regime and the BJP in Karnataka.

State BJP president BS Yeddyurappa and senior Congress leader HK Patil had urged the government to revoke the Cabinet decision to execute an absolute sale deed for 3666 acres of land in the mineral-rich Sandur taluk of Ballari district to the steel behemoth.

The Cabinet had, last week, decided to execute absolute sale deed in favour of the JSW Steel on grounds that the firm has fulfilled all commitments. The Mumbai-headquartered company operates a 12 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) steel plant on the sprawling campus it got under a lease-cum-sale agreement.

Meanwhile, the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) on Tuesday warned the State Government that the controversy surrounding the sale of land to the JSW Steel would send wrong signals to investor community in both India and overseas.

The BCIC, in a press release, urged the JD(S)-Congress regime to work towards early resolution of issues related to such land transactions with major industrial houses in Karnataka. Over the last three years, the government not taken a policy decision on regularising land lease for industrial use.

BCIC president Kishore Alva said: “The facilitation of industry to setup shop in Karnataka is one of the most important tasks of the Government of Karnataka. The present controversy over regularisation of land lease of JSW Steel is unfortunate as well as unnecessary. We understand that political colour has been given to the legitimate use of land by a large industry to setup its plant and facilities."