Nellore district administration in the state of Andhra Pradesh has transferred 110-acre land for Utkarsha Aluminium Dhatu Nigam Limited, a joint venture of Midhani (Mishra Dhatu Nigam) and Nalco. The move will enable the company to set up an alloy production plant at Bodduvaripalem, reported local media.
Plans by the defence public sector unit Midhani to set up a greenfield aluminium alloy production plant at Boddivaripalem, hit a road block with local farmers raising land disputes. The project entails an investment of Rs20bn ($272.03mn).
The foundation ceremony was planned in August last year, but was postponed with as the former Union Minister Arun Jaitley passed away.
The land was said to be distributed to local farmers few decades ago under a government scheme, but remained unutilized till 2010-12. The government then reassigned the land for the farmers in 2013. After the proposal to divert the land, farmers in the area launched an agitation demanding more compensation.