Jharkhand to Decide Fate of Unused Company Land

The Jharkhand government plans to make a decision on unused land held by large companies. Chief Minister Hemant Soren supports a commission to address this issue. The controversy has sparked debates in the assembly, with suspended BJP MLAs protesting the government's actions.

The Jharkhand government will soon decide on large parcels of unused land held by major companies, according to information shared in the assembly on Friday.

State minister Deepak Birua stated that the government seeks to return these undeveloped lands to their original owners. 'Large chunks of land parcels were lying unused by big companies. The government is serious about the issue and we will soon take a decision in this regard,' he replied during a query session.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren has expressed his support for setting up a commission to address the problem of unused land. Earlier, Congress MLA Pradip Yadav noted that under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, land not utilized for five years should be returned to the original owner or the land bank. He criticized the state's removal of this provision.

Further adding to the assembly's heated discussions, Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri protested against the proceedings conducted without the presence of 18 suspended BJP MLAs. These legislators had staged a dharna outside the chief minister's chamber in protest of their suspension for disrupting proceedings on Thursday.

BJP leaders claim that these actions stem from a dictatorial stance by the JMM-led government. The suspended MLAs were marshaled out for their refusal to leave the house after disrupting the sessions.

(With inputs from agencies.)