The Mamata Banerjee government has made a strategic shift in its “non-negotiable” hands-off land policy as concerns about the futility of business incentives in the absence of land for projects hit home.
It allowed state agencies to buy land directly from farmers and sell it to industrialists whenever the demand arises. The commerce and industries department’s move effectively offers businessmen single-window access to land instead of the arduous process of negotiating with farmers. It also gives a fillip to Bengal’s feasibility as an investment destination.
The West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC) will now start scouting for land for industrial parks in the districts that the government has planned as Bengal’s “growth engines”. Each park will span 100-500 acres. The modus operandi of the land purchase will be decided at the WBIIDC board meeting, which is likely to take after Puja. The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) is also likely to start buying land in future.
The state government wants to avoid acquiring land under the new law passed by the Lok Sabha last week that has a tough compensation and rehabilitation clause. A free hand to state agencies to procure land for industry, after negotiating the price and other issues with farmers, frees the process of the legal stipulations of a compensation package for landlosers.
The Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government had taken this direct land purchase route in a joint venture with a private party to procure land for Wipro and Infosys after the Singur land acquisition boomeranged.
The Mamata Banerjee government has engaged its own agencies. The agencies will look for plots in districts far away from Kolkata, where the pressure on land is relatively less. For instance, the WBIIDC will begin with five districts — West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, Dakshin Dinajpur and Coochbehar. The state has already declared incentives for setting up industries in these districts.
Sources said the WBIDC already has 3,500 acres spread over the districts. Land available with the WBIIDC has, however, come down to 175 acres after allotments to industries. Unlike the WBIDC, which can’t acquire land on its own but has to bank on the land department to acquire the land required, the WBIIDC can act without such procedural hurdles.
It allowed state agencies to buy land directly from farmers and sell it to industrialists whenever the demand arises. The commerce and industries department’s move effectively offers businessmen single-window access to land instead of the arduous process of negotiating with farmers. It also gives a fillip to Bengal’s feasibility as an investment destination.
The West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC) will now start scouting for land for industrial parks in the districts that the government has planned as Bengal’s “growth engines”. Each park will span 100-500 acres. The modus operandi of the land purchase will be decided at the WBIIDC board meeting, which is likely to take after Puja. The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) is also likely to start buying land in future.
The state government wants to avoid acquiring land under the new law passed by the Lok Sabha last week that has a tough compensation and rehabilitation clause. A free hand to state agencies to procure land for industry, after negotiating the price and other issues with farmers, frees the process of the legal stipulations of a compensation package for landlosers.
The Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government had taken this direct land purchase route in a joint venture with a private party to procure land for Wipro and Infosys after the Singur land acquisition boomeranged.
The Mamata Banerjee government has engaged its own agencies. The agencies will look for plots in districts far away from Kolkata, where the pressure on land is relatively less. For instance, the WBIIDC will begin with five districts — West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, Dakshin Dinajpur and Coochbehar. The state has already declared incentives for setting up industries in these districts.
Sources said the WBIDC already has 3,500 acres spread over the districts. Land available with the WBIIDC has, however, come down to 175 acres after allotments to industries. Unlike the WBIDC, which can’t acquire land on its own but has to bank on the land department to acquire the land required, the WBIIDC can act without such procedural hurdles.
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