Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Won't acquire land for industry: Bengal

Won't acquire land for industry: Bengal

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Jul 3, 2011   modified Modified on Jul 3, 2011

-The Business Standard

 

Political rhetoric dominated the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) annual executive committee meet today, even as two key faces of Mamata Banerjee’s administration reiterated the government’s stance of not acquiring land for industry.

“Under no circumstances will the government acquire land for the industry,” Partha Chatterjee, West Bengal’s commerce and industries minister told the industry body. Also present at the event was state’s finance minister Amit Mitra.

The chief minister skipped the meeting, but found mention in practically each and every line uttered by her cabinet colleagues.

That Bengal, while grappling with a debt-ridden economy, has refused to acquire land for industry under the aegis of the new land policy formulated by Mamata Banerjee is well known. The same was reiterated by Mitra.

Chatterjee said manufacturing clusters of industries such as food processing, horticulture, gems and jewelry, zari, textile and tourism would be set up in 19 districts.

Surprisingly enough, despite having scrapped the Rs 95,000-crore chemical hub project at Nayachar, he mentioned petrochemicals as a focus sector for the government.

The hub was supposed to be a part of the integrated Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIR) approved by the Centre and an extension of the existing petrochemical plant at Haldia. This has now been scrapped in favour an ecotourism project.

“The chemical hub had to be scrapped to make way for the ecotourism project,” said Chatterjee.

Also, the industry minister set aside requests of mediation in land acquisition, saying the state would be willing to aid the industry with infrastructure, water and power requirements, but will continue to keep away from land requirement.

“Why are you stuck on land? So many other things are needed for industry, where we are willing to help,” he said.

Land has occupied centre stage in West Bengal’s development debate since the Nandigram and Singur episodes, which ultimately led to the demise of the Left Front government and catapulted Banerjee into the chief minister’s chair.

While Mamata’s land policy talks of a land bank, it is silent on how the bank will be created in the absence of acquisition efforts by the present government.

Concerns were also raised regarding the Urban Land Ceiling Act (ULCA) and Section 14Y of the Land Reforms Act, both of which restrict acquisition.

“The policy you propose means that while we will end up buying land, we will not own it. This needs immediate amendment. Also the ULCA needs to be amended so that we can purchase upward of 25 acres,” said M K Jalan, chairman of Kolkata-based Keventer Agro.

Section 14Y of the Land Reforms Act states that any given institution or person is not allowed to hold more than seven standard hectares without written permission from the government.

Many industrialists regard the present laws as a direct contradiction to Mamata’s land policy, much like the latter’s plans of setting up manufacturing clusters with industry like food processing, horticulture and gems and jewelry.

Rhetoric aside, the number of unemployed in West Bengal has reached 10 million.

Strangely, most questions fielded by ministers came from city-based industrialists at the national-level meet, where, over 100 CEOs from across the country were in attendance.

Prominent among these were Vinita Bali, CEO, Britannia Industries, Naina Lal Kidwai, country-head, HSBC, Kalpana Morparia, CEO, JP Morgan and D Shivakumar, MD Nokia.

Later in the day, a delegation led by Marico CMD and Ficci president Harsh Mariwala met Banerjee, where it was decided that Ficci will work in tandem with the state government to highlight Brand Bengal abroad.

Also, later this year, the body will lead a delegation to Japan for attracting investments into the state.

State targets 14% growth, 1 million jobs

West Bengal is aiming for 14 per cent growth in the current financial year. “We are aiming for a growth rate of 14 per cent. Both social and physical infrastructures are key for development,” state finance minister Amit Mitra said . He said the government will invest about Rs 2,200 crore on infrastructure. “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s objective is to create one million jobs over the next 10 years.”

The state has a debt of Rs 2 lakh crore and a cash deficit of Rs 9,000 crore, he added. From the prevailing 3.37 per cent, revenue deficit would be brought down to 1.58 per cent of the state GDP this financial year.

The Business Standard, 3 July, 2011, http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/wont-acquire-land-for-industry-bengal/441332/


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close