Special status for Tisco-run Jamshedpur

The Jharkhand government has told the Jharkhand High Court that it will take steps to declare Jamshedpur an industrial city. Presently, the city was run by a notified area committee (NAC) comprising state government and Tata Steel officials.

The High Court had served a notice on the state government in mid-November after a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the court by a social activist for a municipality to run the city.

The state government said that according to provisions in the Bihar Municipal Act, a city can be declared industrial township if the municipal services are provided by an industrial establishment.

"In Jamshedpur such services are provided by Tata Steel since the time they set up the company in the region. Therefore, steps are being taken to declare Jamshedpur as an industrial township under sub-section 4 of the Bihar Municipal Act," the state government has told the High Court. Bokaro, where municipal services were provided by the Bokaro Steel Plant of SAIL, may also become an industrial township.