Bengal CM rules out forcible land acquisition promises land banks for investors

    Kolkata, Nov 5 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday ruled out both the Left Front's policy of forcible land acquisition and the TMC's approach of leaving industries to buy land without government support, promising instead to create land banks for investors as he unveiled the state's new Investment Promotion Policy.

    Adhikari said the state was well-positioned to facilitate fresh investments of around Rs 1 lakh crore in the coming months, citing land availability and several projects in the pipeline, though he acknowledged that the government was currently unable to clear an accumulated incentive backlog of nearly Rs 50,000 crore.

    "We will neither have a forcible land acquisition policy like the Left Front nor will we have a flawed land policy like the TMC, asking industries to buy their own land without any support from the government," Adhikari said.

    Stressing that the new industrial policy would respect the rights of landowners, he said, "Decisions will be taken through discussions, not by force."

    Recalling the "bloody history" of Nandigram and Singur, Adhikari attacked the Left and TMC governments over their respective land acquisition policies.

    Referring to the controversies during the Left Front's tenure, he said, "No notification for land acquisition was issued during Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's tenure. As a result, people witnessed incidents like those in Nandigram and Singur."

    "In 2011, Mamata Banerjee came to power and launched an agitation over land acquired for industrial purposes. Her land policy also undermined its industrial policy," he said.

    Adhikari said his government studied the land acquisition policies of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat and took several aspects into consideration.

    "Direct discussions will be held with landowners. If necessary, willing landowners will be offered compensation above the market rate," he said.

    The government would also purchase land for future industrial requirements and create a land bank, he said, adding that discussions were underway with HUDCO, NABARD, the Asian Development Bank and other institutions to mobilise funds.

    Adhikari said his government was committed to industrialisation and creating an industry-friendly atmosphere.

    He said land would be made available through existing industrial parks, recovered plots and the proposed land bank.

    Blaming the Left and TMC governments for the state's industrial decline, Adhikari accused the CPI(M) of destroying West Bengal's industrial base through aggressive trade union politics.

    "The Left destroyed the jute mills, Haldia and Chittaranjan. Mamata's tenure saw an industrial drought in Bengal. Extortion and the syndicate raj continued unabated," he said.

    Adhikari said the government had asked companies holding land allotted by the previous administration but not using it to initiate project-related processes within three months or return the plots against a refund of the original purchase price.

    He alleged that the TMC's "flawed" land policy had contributed to the failure of its industrialisation efforts over the last 15 years.

    Adhikari said his government was "very positive" about industrialisation and would extend the necessary support to investors.

    Industrial summits were held during Mamata's tenure, but investments never came, he said.

    "We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of extortion from industry. Strict action will be taken against anyone found involved in such activities," he said.

    "Our government follows the policy of 'Na khaunga, na khane dunga' (Will neither take bribes nor let others take them)," Adhikari said.

    The CM also alleged that nearly Rs 20,000 crore of the state's revenue had been siphoned off by "anti-nationals and mafia" during the TMC regime.

    The new Investment Promotion Policy seeks to attract fresh investments, accelerate industrialisation and generate employment by offering incentives, particularly in less-industrialised areas.

    The policy provides higher assistance to units in thrust sectors and priority areas, while promising fixed timelines for approvals and payments.

    Adhikari said the government had already handed over land to 33 business groups and was in a position to meet the current demand for industrial plots.

    "We are currently in a position to facilitate investments of around Rs 1 lakh crore over the next few months," he said, citing proposals and ongoing projects across the state.

    The government had offered two plots of 15 acres each to Amul for ice-cream manufacturing units, while the Vedanta Group had selected a plot belonging to the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority.

    Land had also been arranged for Campa Cola and Reliance projects at Haringhata, and for Matrix's expansion at Panagarh, he said.

    Adhikari said the government had facilitated land arrangements for proposals involving the Sanjiv Goenka Group in Haldia and recovered plots belonging to several closed industrial units in Barrackpore industrial belt.

    On ongoing projects, he said work was progressing on Lux Cozi's Rs 600-crore unit and Amul's Rs 700-crore project, while steel expansion work in Medinipur and an Amit Metaliks unit at Raghunathpur were also underway.

    He said JSW Group chief Sajjan Jindal proposed a groundbreaking ceremony for the second phase of his power plant at Salboni in January, while the Reshmi Group was planning similar ceremonies for a second plant at Kharagpur and two projects in Purulia.

    On the outstanding industrial incentives, Adhikari said the accumulated backlog was around Rs 50,000 crore and beyond the state's present financial capacity.

    He said the new government had taken responsibility for incentive commitments falling due after May 9, 2026, but could not immediately shoulder the accumulated liabilities.

    "The previous government cheated industrialists and investors. Had it paid Rs 7,000-8,000 crore in incentives every year, such a backlog would not have accumulated," the CM said.

    Adhikari, however, said the government recognised the outstanding commitments as a legacy issue and would address them when Bengal became financially stronger.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)