The Videocon group has asked West Bengal government for a fresh piece of land for its proposed steel plant after Coal India said the current location has mineral reserves.
"We require 4,200 acres for the project. Of this, 3,000 acres are to be brought by us directly. Now the CIL has written to us that land cannot be allocated as it has coal beds.
"So we have proposed reallocation of the site or realignment of land for the project," Videocon Chairman Venugopal Dhoot told reporters here after a meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
Dhoot said the Chief Minister had assured him of taking up the matter with Delhi for an early solution.
"We are also in touch with the CIL authorities over the matter. The Central Mine Planning and Design Institute has been asked to identify the land containing coal bed," he said.
Consumer electronics giant Videocon group signed a memorandum with the West Bengal government in October 2007 for setting up a three-million-tonne integrated steel plant and a 1,200 MW thermal power plant in the Jamuria-Barabani area.
The total project cost for the steel and power plants was estimated at Rs 20,000 crore.
Dhoot said the designs of the integrated steel plant and the power plant were ready. The power plant would be set up first.
In reply to a question, he said Videocon's proposed 2,500 acre biotech SEZ project at Dabgram near Siliguri in north Bengal was also facing 'some' problems regarding land ceiling.
Dhoot said he brought this to the notice of the Chief Minister during the meeting and the latter had assured him of solving the matter within seven days.
