SJDA not to acquire land for township project

Siliguri, Mar 23: The Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) has decided not to acquire land forcibly for a township project at Kawakhali near here.

After chastened over land acquisition in Singur and Nandigram, the authority was reviewing it across the districts, a SJDA source said.

SJDA was moving to acquire 302 acre of land at Kawakhali for the township project with Bengal Universal Unitech. Four farmers have been moving to the Calcutta High Court opposing the acquisition of agricultural land for the joint venture project.

SJDA Chairman and West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Asok Bhattacharya told UNI that all the residents of those places would be compensated and rehabilitated.

'' We decided not to acquire the lands forcibly. The District Magistrate of Darjeeling will give a written assurance to the residents of Kawakhali in this regard soon,'' said Mr Bhattacharya.

All families whose land will be acquired would be compensated by two cothas of land, the minister said. He, however, did not mention the compensation package. He also said they would get extra preference in technical training institutes like the Industrial Training Institute (ITI).

UNI

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