Patna: The Bihar government has stepped up preparations for setting up new mega industrial parks by beginning the social impact assessment process for land acquisition. This process has been started by the Revenue and Land Reforms Department and is considered the first and most important step before any land is acquired for a large project. The assessment aims to understand how the proposed acquisition will affect local people and whether the project will bring real benefits to society as a whole.
As part of this exercise, public hearings are being organised in villages and towns where land is proposed to be acquired. During these hearings, local residents are given the opportunity to share their views, raise objections and express concerns related to livelihood, rehabilitation and compensation. Officials said that more than 11,713 acres of land have been proposed for acquisition to develop new industrial areas in 24 districts, making it one of the largest industrial initiatives in the state in recent years.
In a recent meeting chaired by the director of the department, land acquisition officers were asked to speed up the process wherever approvals and funds for social impact assessments have already been provided. Officers were clearly instructed to begin work immediately in such districts so that the overall project does not face unnecessary delays. The government believes that timely completion of these formalities will help Bihar move faster towards industrial growth and employment generation.
The meeting also reviewed progress on the ground. Public hearings have already been completed in some districts, and the agencies conducting the studies have been directed to submit their reports to the District Land Acquisition Officers at the earliest. At the same time, it was pointed out that the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) has not yet sent requisitions for land acquisition in a few districts. BIADA has now been asked to complete this process quickly so that assessments can begin there as well.
Gaya district is expected to see the highest level of land acquisition under the plan. Two mega industrial parks are proposed in the district, with about 600 acres to be acquired in Mohanpur and 700 acres in Fatehpur. Large areas have also been identified in other districts, including 1,234 acres in Vaishali and 991 acres in Begusarai. Institutions such as the Chandragupta Institute of Management, LN Mishra Institute, AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies and the Institute of Development Management are involved in carrying out the studies. Recently, BIPARD has also been included, especially for the work in Gaya, highlighting the growing scale of Bihar’s industrial development plans.
