Forward Bloc slams Bengal Govt over land acquisition

Kolkata, Jan 5 (UNI) Flaying the West Bengal Government for bowing to the 'diktat' of industrialists, the All India Forward Bloc today said industrialisation should not be guided by corporate planning.

''The way land is being acquired amounts to bowing to the diktat of industrialists. There must be a people's planning for land use for industry instead of corporate planning,'' Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas said addressing a rally, organised by Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), a frontal wing of the party.

Earlier, stressing that proper land use planning was ''very important'', the Forward Bloc Cental Committee, which concluded its three-day Central Committee meeting here today, called for setting up of land use committees with people's representatives and members of peasants' organisations in every district.

''We also demand a comprehensive plan for land use to be prepared and all political parties should be welcomed to take part in the exercise,'' Mr Biswas said.

The party's Central Committee took up the Singur issue as an important agenda. Despite being an important partner of the ruling Left Front in the state, the party observed that ''there were some lapses and gaps'' in the process of land acquisition at Singur.

''In the national perspective, it is our demand that people's planning, as opposed to corporate planning, be given priority for land use,'' Mr Biswas said.

Calling for a change in focus in planning, the Central Committee observed that rural India had largely been neglected by the planners and rulers because of ''over interference'' of corporate houses in the process of planning and framing the economic polices.

''The focus of Indian planning must be changed and the needs of the rural India must be addressed properly,'' it said.

Meanwhile, coming out with an open support to the Left Front Government's policy, S.R.Pillai, President of the All India Krishak Sabha, the peasants' wing of the CPI(M), said land should be converted for industries with due compensation and rehabilitation.

''Land should be converted for setting up industries and creating infrastructural facilities. Some sections, who want to freeze society, are trying to create confusion among the people,'' he said in an interview to a Bengali news channel.

Mr Pillai, however, called for suitable land reforms machinery, adequate compensation and provisions for rehabilitation for the affected people while taking necessary care for protecting food security.

UNI