Tata Steel to develop modern farm in Bastar

Tata Steel, which has been struggling to acquire land in Chhattisgarh for mining, proposes to develop a modern agriculture farm in the Bastar region in the state once it acquires land there.

The land will be used to employ farmers who sell land to the company in a cooperative. This is being offered as part of the rehabilitation package to farmers in Chhattisgarh.

The cooperative would be part of the industrial project of the company which is trying to acquire 2063 hectares of land in ten villages in Lohandiguda in Bastar for its five million tonnes a year integrated steel plant.

The cooperative farm on 500 acres is also expected to provide jobs for elderly villagers impacted by the project, company officials said. The blueprint of the proposal has been designed and sent to the district administration.

The idea to develop the farm came from the villagers when company officials were in discussions with them for land acquisition.

"The local people raised apprehension about becoming jobless after handing over their land and suggested that the company find some land-based solution as a large number of people were working in farms," the official added. Workers on the farm would be paid the government rate.

Tata Steel will manage the farm till the villagers are trained to take care of them. "Later, a cooperative society will be formed to give total control of the farm to the villagers," the official said. About 500 people are likely to get jobs in the farm.

Work for developing the farm will begin soon after land acquisition for the steel plant is completed. "Since the return is very low in conventional farming, which includes paddy cultivation, it is better to change the pattern to other crops that yield more dividends," the official explained.

As a large number of women will also be displaced, the company plans to set up a tissue culture laboratory to accommodate them.

"Tata Steel can think of implementing it in other proposed projects if project-affected people demand it," said Tata steel's chief of corporate communications Sanjay Chowdhary.

"In Jharkhand we would like to offer this package but the state is yet to come out with a relief and rehabilitation policy," he said.