Front decides to defer land ceiling amendment

Kolkata, Nov 24 (UNI) The Left Front in West Bengal today asked the state Government to send to the Select Committee the Land Ceiling Amendment Bill, to be presented in the Assembly on November 27 seeking a higher cap on plot holding for industries.

Caught between the urge for setting up industries and protecting the interest of farmers, the biggest votebank that kept the Front in power for 30 years, the ruling coalition decided to bring in further changes in the Bill, particularly in favour of 'bargadars' and share croppers.

" The Front was unanimous that the Bill should be referred to the Select Committee for the time being. A definition of nomenclature of land was needed to be incorporated. That apart, certain points are to be clarified, " Left Front Committee Chairman Biman Basu said after a meeting.

To a question, Mr Basu said the Bill proposed a six per cent compensation for the bargadar in the event of land acquisition, but it was far too low than the size of compensation being offered to land owners in Singur where the Tatas proposed to set up a small car factory.

Going for rapid industrialisation of state, the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Government recently decided to increase the existing ceiling of land holding to offer foothold to entrepreneurs from different parts of the country, willing to invest in West Bengal.

The present land ceiling was enacted to prevent landlords and other individuals from holding excess land.The present ceiling in the urban areas is 24 acres and 17 and 12.5 acres respectively in the irrigated and non-irrigated areas in the rural belt.

After coming to power, the Left Front brought in land reforms enacting law to give permanent right to the landless share croppers to tilt the land of owners.

Even the land reforms put the Front on the crest of a popular support, the Government was gradually caught up with the growing need for setting up industries that demanded huge stretches of land, far beyond the existing limits.

" While we are concerned with the interest of farmers, it is also a reality that there can be hardly any ceiling on the size of land if industries are to be set up, " Mr Basu said.

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