<p>Order of the National Green Tribunal (Central Zone Bench, Bhopal) regarding illegal sand mining being done at the Balod Pod sand mine located in Balod district, Chhattisgarh.</p> <p>A report was called
Some state governments, without waiting for a decision by the group of ministers (GoM) on bio-fuels, headed by agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, have gone ahead with their own programme of large-scale plantation of Jatropha. "We have launched our Jatropha plantation programme taking a cue from the Planning Commission's document, National Mission on Biodiesel. We are aware that the GoM on bio-fuels is deliberating the issue. The broad policy of the central government has already been enunciated in the Planning Commission document. The GoM is discussing incentives to be provided and the work of central government agencies in aiding implementation of the programme,' SK Shukla, executive director of Chhattisgarh Bio-fuel Development Authority (CBDA), told FE. The CBDA, which is headed by the chief secretary of the state, has identified 15.7 million hectare out of 201.5 million hectare revenue fallow land in different parts of the state for Jatropha. Chhattisgarh has 170.18 million hectare of degraded forest land in 17 out of 18 districts which can used for Jatropha plantation. "But for this, we need clearance from the Union ministry of environment and forests,' Shukla said. The Indian Railways also owns 7,309.557 hectare land along the tracks and other holdings amounting to 1,096.871 hectare, which can be used for Jatropha, he added. State government agencies have raised about 390 million Jatropha saplings in nurseries and have distributed them free to farmers for planting in 1,55,000 hectare in the last three years. In 2008-09, 200 million Jatropha saplings would be raised in nurseries. Chhattisgarh has also announced support prices for Jatropha seed at Rs 6,500 a tonne, Karanj seeds at Rs 6,000 a tonne and for Jatropha and Karanj oils at Rs 18 per litre. Also, it has framed a new policy for leasing out wastelands to investors. In addition, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is being used for Jatropha plantation. The Bio-fuel Authority of Rajasthan, too, has identified 2,106.8 hectares in 11 districts for Jatropha, said PC Chaplot, of the directorate of extension education in Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology. The state is also exploring the possibility of diverting 2% to 3% farm land for Jatropha in the form of hedges around fields for protecting crops, water harvesting as well as acting as a windbreak. In the south, Karnataka has set up an autonomous Bio-fuel Board with members drawn from institutions, agriculture universities, forest and agriculture departments, industry and NGOs for integrated development of the bio-fuel programme and formulating support prices for seeds, oil and oilcakes, KV Sarvesh, of the state agriculture department told FE.
Chhattisgarh, which became a separate state in November 2001, has the richest reserves of minerals in India. It is for the same reason that it is attracting a lot of investors, says the state's Chief Minister Raman Singh. In conversation with Yeshi Seli, the chief minister points out that steel and power projects would be attracting major investments in the years to come. The Tatas had evinced a keen interest in setting up a steel plant in Chhattisgarh but that ran into rough weather. What is the latest on that front? Substantial progress has been made ii the project that the Tatas would be setting up. The land acquisition proceedings have already been completed. And contrary to what some people may want to believe, majority of the farmers have accepted the compensation package. In fact, we are certain that onsite work on the project would begin by the end of February or the beginning of March this year. As far as the farmers are concerned, we have provided a modern and pro-people 'rehabilitation package' to them, which includes alternate agricultural land for those who want to continue with agriculture, instead of accepting an employment in the plant. As you may be aware, Chhattisgarh is rich in minerals and our government has formulated a specific policy of value, addition of our natural resources within the state. Our good quality iron ore, bauxite and lime stone have attracted a number of iron & steel, aluminium and cement industries to invest in our state. We are number one state in attracting investment proposals and have received offers worth around Rs, 10,000 crore. Installation of various industries is in different stages of completion and more than Rsl5,000 crore have already been invested in these sectors within the last four years. There were reports suggesting that L.N. Mittal wanted to set up a greenfield steel plant in your state... There are many Indian and foreign companies that are interested in setting up steel plants in our state. However, till something conclusive is arrived at, it would not be prudent on our part to divulge details for the same. Would your state prefer investment by domestic companies like the Tatas to international majors like Mittal? Projects which are in the interest of the state, be it by Indian or foreign companies, would be offered a level playing field in Chhattisgarh. However, we would look forward to proposals/investments in new technology sectors like it. It is also understood that Chhattisgarh has huge reserves of diamonds and international majors like De Beers were allowed to mine in the state. What were the results of the same? Yes, there are diamond reserves in our state. Regarding De Beers, some of its projects have been recommended by our government to the Centre for granting it prospecting licence. With new projects coming up, there would be additional requirement of power. Is your state equipped with adequate power? During the past two decades, not one new power project was established in our state. However, things have improved now, as thermal power projects with a collective capacity of 500 megawatt (mw) Tiave been established here recently. Also, an action plan has been prepared to make our state the power hub of the country. Accordingly, MoUs have been executed to set up power plants with 30,000 mw capacity, which would be worth about Rsl,35,000 crore. On 1 January 2008, Chhattisgarh became a 'no power-cut state'. Now, we are supplying power for 24 hours in our rural as well as urban areas without any interruption. We have also invested around Rs20,000 crore to improve our transmission and distribution network for quality power supply. How do you ensure law and order for those coming to invest, as there is a huge Naxalite problem in Chhattisgarh? The long-standing problem of Naxalites is not limited to Chhattisgarh alone. This problem will have to be tackled in close co-ordination with the Union government and other affected state governments. I think the efforts taken in this direction are yielding positive results. The worst phase, I feel, is over. People in the affected districts are now fed up with this menace and are voicing their resistance towards Naxalites, which is creating panic within the Naxalites. The state government is in control of the situation and I don't think it will affect the flow of investments in the state.
Jindal India Thermal Power, a subsidiary of the BC Jindal group, is planning a power generation capacity of more than 4,500 mw in four years. Jindal Power will invest Rs 20,000 crore for the capacity, expecting high returns. "We expect 15-18 per cent return on investment for these projects,' said Director Punit Gupta. Though power is a regulated return sector, private sector companies have managed to better the 14 per cent return that the regulator allows. The Jindal group, which follows many other private sector companies in diversifying into power, is setting up the projects in the coal-rich states of Orissa, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. While it is planning a 2,000 mw project in Madhya Pradesh, for which a memorandum of understanding will be signed with the state government shortly, work on the 1,200 mw plant in Orissa is in progress. Financial closure of the Rs 4,400 crore Orissa project is expected by next month-end. The company also expects to procure main plant equipment (boiler-turbine-generator) through bidding. The project is expected to be commissioned by September 2010. "In Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the states have the first right to purchase of 30 per cent of the power, while in Orissa it is 25 per cent,' said Gupta. The rest of the power will be contracted through PTC India. The company is also planning a foray into hydroelectricity.
The tribal women in the sleepy village of Donga-nala in Korba district run a unit for making medicines from herbs, thus converting traditional medicinal knowledge into fortunes.
NEW DELHI, Feb 12
Women in Chhattisgarh learn to profit from the medicinal herbs that grow around them. Converting traditional medicinal knowledge into fortunes
The multi-crore Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh is currently embroiled in legal issues. But now, the project is being contested on technical issues as well. A study carried out by the
<img src="files/images/20080131/dot.gif" align="centre">Proposes to irrigate around 230,000 hectares in Vijaywada, West & East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts
Much to the Andhra Pradesh government's dismay, the National Environmental Appellate Authority has quashed the environmental clearance for the state's multi-crore Indira Sagar Project, formerly known
Report>>Sponge Iron Industries
