Won't follow Left's forcible land acquisition for industry or TMC's flawed land policy Suvendu

    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 letting industries buy land without government support, promising instead to create land banks for investors, as he unveiled the state's new Investment Promotion Policy.

    He said the government was committed to ensuring that investors received the necessary support to set up industries in the state.

    "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.

    "We are making arrangements to buy land for creating a land bank for industries," he said, asserting that his government was committed to industrialisation and creating an industry-friendly atmosphere in the state.

    The chief minister accused the CPI(M) of destroying West Bengal's industrial base through aggressive trade union politics, while alleging 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.

    "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, asserting that corruption and extortion would not be tolerated.

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

    The new Investment Promotion Policy seeks to attract fresh investments, accelerate industrialisation and generate employment by offering incentives to industries, with a particular focus on job creation and investment in less-industrialised areas.

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

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