Patna, (Bihar Times): Instead of rolling out tractors
the International Tractors, the manufacturer of Solanika tractors, has decided to roll-back. The news
came as a big embarrassment to the chief minister,
Nitish Kumar, personally as it was he, who on November
18 last inaugurated this plant in Fatuha, some 30 km
east of Patna, with much pomp and show.
The company has submitted a formal application for the
return of its initial amount of Rs one crore deposited
with the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority
(BIADA). Bihar is the biggest market of Sonalika
tractor and farm equipment. The Fatuha unit was
supposed to cater to the need of market in Jharkhand,
West Bengal and east Uttar Pradesh.
Though L D Mittal, chairman of the Sonalika Group of
companies, made big promise at the time of
inauguration, media reports say that there are
possibly two reasons for this roll-back. Firstly, the
company is not finding the work environment conducive.
Secondly, it was, from the very outset, not interested
in setting up industry or assembling unit here, but
only wanted to use the land in Fatuha as warehousing
hub for its market in eastern India.
As per the clause Sonalika has demanded its amount
back from BIADA within six months of depositing it.
There is no dearth of people who may now say that
Fatuha is a jinxed place. Its first phase of
industrialization in 1977-78 failed to take off
notwithstanding the then chief minister Karpoori
Thakur’s personal initiative. Among other things it
was planned to open a scooter factory and a tractor
plant.
