'Land problem not to derail industrialisation'

Kolkata, Oct 13: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today asserted that the process of industrialisation in the state would not be derailed for want of land and the Left Front Government would continue to play a facilitator.

"We are trying hard to provide land to investors and industries are destined to come up," he told reporters after attending the CPI (M) State Secretariat meeting.

The Chief Minister's comment came in the wake of the opposition uproar over acquisition of agricultural land at Singur in Hooghly district for the Tata Motors' small car project.

Ms Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, spearheading the anti-acquistion movement, has already sought the participation of Congress in a sustained joint movement against any attempt to acquire farm land for setting up of industries.

With the major tracts of land in the state being fertile in nature, the CPI (M)-led coalition Government has received proposals from a number of companies, including the Tatas, Wipro, Reliance, Wipro, the Jindals and the Indonesian Salim group for setting up of different industries.

While the Government had to accept Tatas' preference for Singur, a largely fertile area of multi-crop plots on the ground of logistics, the Opposition had been demanding shifting of the project, spread over 997 acres, to somewhere else.

A comprehensive proposal of the Salim group, including plans for a health city, an economic zone and an expressway, also calls for thousands of acres in South 24 Parganas.

However, having experienced opposition also within the Front over the question of acquiring agricultural land, the Government declared that it would avoid multi-crop plots as far as possible.

Meanwhile, reacting to a news report that alleged that the Tatas were purchasing land at throwaway prices, veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu said no cheap deal had been made. "Nothing is being given to the Tatas free of cost," he said adding that the first phase of the small car project was almost over.

The Chief Minister had earlier said the land would be handed over to the Tatas by this year.

A television report had said the Tatas were buying the land for only Rs 20 crore for a period of three years which was grossly incompatible with the market price and they were being given huge concessions.

However, refuting this, Industry Minister Nirupam Sen said the price of land being charged from the Tatas was not that as mentioned by the channel and the company was being given certain concessions under the declared policy of the Government for promotion of industry and generation of employment for the state's people.

UNI