West Bengal identifies 5,000 acres of idle land for industrial use
The state government plans to approach Union ministries to release land held by closed central public-sector undertakings.
West Bengal has identified over 5,000 acres of unused land held by closed central public-sector undertakings to expand its industrial land bank, according to Urban Acres.
The state government intends to approach the relevant Union ministries to secure the release of these sites. Identified locations include land from Hindustan Cables Ltd in Rupnarayanpur, Hindustan Fertiliser in Haldia, and the Mining and Allied Machinery Corporation in Durgapur.
The state is also reviewing approximately 600 acres in Katwa that was acquired for NTPC but remains unused. Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta recently stated that the current government land bank is insufficient to drive industrialisation at the required pace.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the administration will not forcibly acquire land from farmers. Instead, the government will purchase land to transfer to industrial units, following models used in states such as Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
The government is expected to develop land-purchase and land-pooling policies. Additionally, a proposal may be moved during the Assembly's winter session to facilitate land pooling by potentially amending Section 14Y of the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, 1955.