In the last five years, the government allocated more than 15,000 hectares land to 373 industries and out of that, only 141 started their projects. The remaining 232 industries have not started their projects yet.
The Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government, which is promoting major industrial development in the state through the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor Summit (VGGIS) since 2003 and has claimed to have attracted industrial investment MoUs (memorandum of understanding) worth Rs18 lakh crore during 2003-2009, has allotted a whopping 38,289 acres or more than 155 sq. km of land in the last five years to industry and the process is still going on.
Highly placed sources in the state government said, "The demand for government land for private industry is exceptionally high after the high expectations generated in the VGGI summits. But acquisition of private land is too costly and time consuming, so each industrialist prefers to get government land at concessional or Jantri rates. However, now the government has to face many difficulties due to huge demands as they have to keep reserve land for other, future purposes.
The state government has given more than 15,495 hectares land in last five years to various industries and still the demands for thousands of hectares is pending before the state government and district authorities.''
Sources further said that," The government has given more than 15,000 hectares land to the industries in the last five years, but very few industries have actually started their projects on the land given to them. In the last five years, the government allocated land to 373 industries and out of that, only 141 started their projects.
The remaining 232 industries have not started their projects yet."
Reliance, Tata and Adani Group have emerged as the largest government land buyers, accounting for 4,830 hectares land in the last three years. The land is valued at Rs377.97 crore. Incidentally, the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has created a land bank of more than 26,000 hectares.
According to Season and Crop Report (SCR) of 2004-05 (the latest year for which the land utilisation figures were finalised), out of total reporting areas of 188.1 lakh hectares in the state, 96.90 lakh hectares (51.51 per cent) was net area sown. While 26.07 lakh hectares were barren and uncultivable land, 11.47 lakh hectares was under non-agricultural uses (industrial, residential and commercial), 19.77 lakh hectares cultivable waste, 18.54 lakh hectares forests, 8.50 lakh hectares under permanent pasture and other grassing land, 6.86 lakh hectares current and other fallows, which is about 13.86 per cent, 6.10 per cent, 10.51 per cent, 9.85 per cent, 4.52 per cent, and 3.65 per cent respectively, of total reporting area.
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