Ranchi, Jan 9 - Jharkhand Deputy Chief Minister Raghubar Das said the government was concerned about the delay in the Arcelor Mittal steel project and would help in setting up its plant in the state.

"We are concerned about the steel projects, including that of Arcelor Mittal. Government will find out ways to help Mittal steel to set up their plant in the state (in Khuti and Gumla districts)," Das told IANS.

"The present government is concerned about industrialisation and at the same we are also concerned about the villagers whose land would be acquired for mega projects."

"Jharkhand was under president's rule for nearly one year. There were successive unstable governments. After cabinet expansion we will work out ways of setting up steel projects."

L. N. Mittal, chief of Arcelor Mittal, had expressed concern over the delay in the projects. The company signed an MoU with Karnataka government to set up another steel plant which is construed as move to shift the project from Jharkhand.

The steel major had signed an MoU with the Jharkhand government in 2005 to set up a 12 million tonne greenfield steel plant with an investment of Rs. 40,000 crore (Rs. 400 billion/$8 billion). Mittal steel authorities say that the Jharkhand project's estimated cost is swelling due to delay.

Arcelor Mittal has already been allocated coal blocks and iron ore mines. Now it needs land to set up the plant. It plans to set up the plant on an 11,000-acre plot in the bordering areas of Khuti and Gumla districts. The villagers are protesting the land acquisition.

Due to land acquisition problem, Mittal and other major steel players are finding it difficult to set up plants. (IANS)