Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Wiser from its experience in Nandigram, the West Bengal government says it has started encouraging direct acquisition of land by industrialists for their proposed projects.
Jindal Steel is already buying land at Shalboni for its steel plant and others considering direct purchase include Balaji Steel, Bhushan Steel and Abhijit Group of Industries. In fact, the Balaji Group, which has plans for a plant at Raghunathgunj in Purulia, has begun talks with the local administration to purchase land directly from the people there.
“We already had a policy by which industrialists could buy their own land. Now the situation is such that we will have to encourage direct purchase of land by industrialists,” said Nirupam Sen, West Bengal Minister for Commerce and Industries.
His department’s principal secretary, Sabyasachi Sen, went a step further when he told The Indian Express: “Direct purchase is the best alternative for land acquisition. It is also quicker. For future industrialisation processes, the government will build consensus among local people and get investors to buy land there.”
Abdur Razzaq Mollah, state Minister for Land and Reforms, said he saw no problem in direct purchase but made clear that those who sold land directly to industrialists could not expect any state help.
