With Shyam Steel returning 650 acres of land of its abandoned steel project at Raghunathpur in Purulia, West Bengal government is now mulling to hand over the plot to Prasoon Mukherjee-led Universal Success Enterprise (USE) for a thermal power project.
Kolkata-based Shyam Steel has recently written to West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation(WBIDC), expressing its intent to return the land. The company has cited non-availability of coal and funding issues for abandoning the project.
“Shyam Steel is not going ahead the project. But, the land will be utilised for industry purpose only. Universal Success has asked for land at Purulia. We are exploring possibilities whether this can be handed over to them,” West Bengal commerce and industries minister Partha Chatterjee said.
The matter regarding transfer of the land will be be discussed in the state cabinet.
Universal Success Enterprise (USE) had earlier proposed to set up a 2,000 MW power plant in Nayachar island with an investment of Rs 12,000 crore. The plant was supposed to use imported coal from Indonesia. However, as the project was yet to get environment clearance, USE asked for an alternative land for the power project.