The Bengal government will not allow the diversion of industrial land for real estate purposes. Partha Chatterjee, Minister for Industry and IT, said the Government would also not permit hospitals and educational institutions on such land.
The Minister stated his Government’s policy at a meeting of a working group of city-based industrialists and professionals.
“I have clearly told them that only industry can come up on land meant for industry. And we will not count hospitals or education institutions as industry,” he said.
The policy decision would mean that rampant conversion of factory land for housing could soon be stopped. In the last two decades, several closed industrial properties, especially on either side of BT Road on the northern fringes of Calcutta and in Howrah, were used for real estate development.
The policy decision comes at a time when land has become a scarce commodity for industry, especially manufacturing. Moreover, the Mamata Banerjee Government has decided not to acquire land for industry from farmers.
“I am focusing on land locked in closed factories. I have asked my department to prepare a report. If I can unlock these plots, there will be no dearth for industry,” Chatterjee said.
The previous Left Front government allowed two companies to use excess factory land for building townships, though after much deliberation.
Hindustan Motors was allowed to build a township at Uttarpara on over 314 acres, while Bata India went on to develop 232 acres at Batanagar in South 24 Parganas.
The working group, of which industry association FICCI is a part, made several suggestions on desired changes in existing land laws — Land Reforms Act, West Bengal Estate Acquisition Act, Thika Tenancy Act and Urban Land Ceiling Act.
The meeting was also attended by Land Secretary R.D Meena, Industry Secretary Dipankar Mukhopadhyay and West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) Managing Director Nandini Chakravorty.
The government took note of the suggestions made by the working group members and promised to iron out the glitches.
