PC's survey on SoE's unutilised land delayed

FE Team | Published: March 08, 2013 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Sonia H Moni Privatisation Commission's (PC) fresh survey on unutilised lands of 39 SoEs (state-owned enterprises) has been delayed due to the on going political situation, officials said. "Although the latest assessment by the government-formed sub-committee on 39 SoEs was supposed to be completed by the end of February, it was not possible due to unavoidable situation," PC Chairman Mirza Abdul Jalil told the FE Wednesday. He further said: "We have completed around 70 per cent of the total survey. It will take another two months to complete the survey on these SoEs. The survey report might be submitted by early April." The five-member sub committee was formed in mid-December, 2012 which is headed by the Director General of the Prime Minister's Office, Md Abdul Aziz. The other members are: joint secretaries of Ministry of Industries, Textile and Privatisation and Deputy Commissioner. The committee for determining the area of unutilized lands in the state-owned enterprises (SoEs) has been constituted, following disagreement between the Privatisation Commission (PC) and the ministries concerned, over the size of such lands. A period of two months has been given to the committee to submit its report, determining the size or areas of lands lying unutilised in the 39 state-owned mills under the Ministry of Industries and also other mills under the Ministries of Jute and Textile. Mr Jalil said the sub-committee members were supposed to visit Rangpur, Rajshahi and Bogra but it did not take place. Their work is being hampered due to unavoidable condition. PC chief expressed the hope that there are vast tracts of unused lands in most of the state-owned industrial units which can be leased out. "But the ministries concerned are not interested to lease out such lands and prefer to keep them lying idle. Even they do not acknowledge that vacant lands are there." "If we lease out five acres of land to each of the potential private investors, some 257 new industrial units can be established and the government will be financially benefited." Mr Jalil said. He also said: "New industrial units will help boost industrialisation without utilising farm land."