Land to Jindal: BJP, Cong leaders turn heat on govt

Controversy over the government’s move to convert the lease of 3,667 acres land to the Sajjan Jindal-promoted JSW Steel in Ballari into a sale deed refuses to die down with the BJP announcing Wednesday it would fight against this.

This, even as senior Congress leader H K Patil continued his campaign against the Cabinet decision to convert the land’s lease into a sale, calling it “illegal” much to the embarrassment of the Congress-JD(S) coalition.

On its part, the JSW Steel has stated that the land was given to it on a lease-cum-sale basis and that the land had to be sold to them following the fulfilment of the lease conditions. The company will be charged Rs 1.22-1.50 lakh per acre.

Starting June 13, the saffron party will stage a 3-day satyagraha in Bengaluru opposing the government’s decision. The protest will be led by BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, it was so decided at the BJP legislature party meeting.

“The government is selling 3,667 acres of land to Jindal at a throwaway price. This is daylight robbery and loot after this coalition government lost the Lok Sabha election. We will fight this. If they want iron ore, let them extend the lease instead,” Yeddyurappa said.

Patil, the former minister who headed a Cabinet sub-committee on implementation of a Lokayukta report on illegal mining, has fired a fresh salvo at the government, giving the BJP a shot in the arm.

Patil, in a letter to Industries Minister K J George, refuted his claim that the JSW Steel had no pending dues. “The Jindal company owes Rs 1,200 crore to the state-run Mysore Minerals Limited (MML),” Patil reiterated, adding that the company was accused of “illegal” mining.

“If the government took the decision based on the advocate general’s (A-G) opinion, then it isn’t lawful, because the A-G’s information is wrong. How can the A-G be unaware that the Lokayukta report was still before the Supreme Court? And when MML has moved the court to seek dues from JSW, how can you state that there are no dues,” Patil has asked.

A week ago, George had defended the Cabinet decision to convert the lease into a sale deed. “The JSW has fulfilled all conditions as per the agreement. The government is simply honouring its commitment made as per the agreement,” George had said. “The MML and JSW are currently fighting a legal battle over claims, but there are no pending dues.”