WB govt allocates two lakh acres for industrialisation

Kolkata, July 14 (UNI) In order to provide the much needed fillip to its industrialisation programme, the West Bengal government has allocated about 200,000 acres of land to various industries during the past three years, state Land and Land Reforms Minister Abdul Rezzak Mollah informed the Assembly today.

Replying to a query of SUCI member Debaprasad Sarkar, Mr Mollah said during the first four months of the current fiscal a total of 43,180 acres of land had so far been earmarked for the same purpose in accordance with the decision taken by the state cabinet.

He said of the 43,180 acres, a maximum 25,000 acres had been earmarked for setting up the proposed chemical hub at the port town of Haldia in East Midnapore district, while about 5000 acres of land had been set aside for the proposed township at Dankuni in the neighbouring Hooghly district.

Giving a clear picture, Mr Mollah said another about 3000 acres had been earmarked for the proposed mini port at Kulti in South 24 Parganas and the adjoining Special Economic Zone(SEZ).

Another about 1000 acres had been selected for giving it to the Tata Group for the small car manufacturing unit at Singur, while about 2000 acres would be given for the proposed two wheeler manufacturing unit of the Salem group at Uluberia in Howrah district.

Replying to supplementary queries from Mr Sarkar and some other members, the minister said, a meeting had been convened between the his ministry and the departments of industry, Panchayats, Rural development and finance here on July 21 for preparing a collective action plan on how to handover these land to the proposed investors.

Answering another question, he said previously no compensation was paid in the event of acquisition of land by the government, but now following necessary amendment of the law, substantial amounts were being doled out to land owners.

Besides, the state government had appointed a number of nodal agencies including the HUDCO, CMDA, KMDA for smooth and proper acquisition in a transparent manner.

When his attention was drawn towards the government policy in terms of taking over of closed tea gardens and using their land for the purpose of industrialisation by RSP member Nirmal Das, the minister said no such programme was under active consideration of the state government.

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