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Reliance project cleared Chandigarh, June 26 " In the case of change of land use at any stage, RIL will have to return the land to the government organisations from which it had been taken," said Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister. The council also okayed the proposal exempting the recently increased price of petrol and diesel by the Union Government from various levies, including VAT. However, the price of petrol will come down by 93 paise per litre and of diesel by 21 paise per litre only after the issuance of the notification by the Punjab Taxation Department regarding the exemption approved by the council. Instead of directly giving the 20 acres, worth several hundred crores of rupees, to RIL at Mohali, the state government today came out with a new proposal which it called "reverse bidding". A statement issued by the government in this connection said that the land at Mohali would be allotted to " RIL on the basis of reverse bidding, which is technically called Swiss challenge, so that the price commensurate with the market price is determined and realised". The commercial worth of the 20 acres is Rs 1,000 crore. Will the state government be able to realise even half the price of the land from RIL through reverse bidding? That is the question being asked in political and other circles. Why has the Punjab Mandi Board, owner of the Mohali land, which is itself prepared to spend Rs 100 crore to set up a modern multiple-use market on the land, not been asked to sell the land in open auction to any party prepared to offer the highest price to set up a modern market there? Sources in the Mandi Board said that even for allotting the land to RIL on the basis of reverse bidding, the relevant rules of the board would have to be amended.The state government would give 292 acres, which is owned by the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation at Mansa, Muktsar, Malout, Tanda and Abohar, to RIL at a rate at which it was acquired plus nominal interest on the money invested in the land and enhancement, if any, ordered by the court. The total land owned by the corporation at these five places is 347.22 acres. However, the corporation will retain 10 per cent of the vacant land available with it at these places. Likewise, the 150 acres at Goindwal would be given on the same pattern. This land also belonged to the corporation but at present is with the Punjab Agro Industries Corporation. The 150 acres at Laddowal would be given on lease at a rate of Rs 16,000 per acre per year with an inbuilt provision in the lease deed for increasing the rate by 10 per cent every five years. Likewise, panchayat land at various places will be given on lease on the same pattern that is to be followed in the case of the Laddowal land. The ownership of the Laddowal and panchayat land would not be transferred to RIL. RIL is to invest Rs 500 crore in the first phase and has proposed to increase the investment to Rs 3,000 crore in three to five years. The Chief Minister claimed that 30,000 people would get employment with the setting up of 52 main and 300 sub-commercial hubs by RIL as part of its farm-to-fork project, which includes trading, financing, banking, milk and agricultural produce procuring, processing, setting up of 33 hyper-super markets in main towns and cities and education at the primary and middle school levels. RIL is to buy vegetables and fruits grown on over 3,00,000 acres by farmers. "Mr Mukesh Ambani will set up at least five hubs by October- end", asserted the Chief Minister. The entire rural Punjab would be covered by the project, he added. The project would change the economic profile of the state, he hoped. Meanwhile, the government is to issue redeemable bonds worth Rs 250 crore this year and of the same amount next year as part of the payment of subsidy to eligible industrialists. The council also approved an increase in the honorarium of chowkidars from Rs 200 to Rs 600 per month. |
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