Kolkata, Sept. 25 -- West Bengal is set to retain the land-ceiling provisions under Section 14Y of the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, but may adopt a case-by-case approach to allowing land for industrial and other projects under a new land policy likely to be unveiled in October.
Chief advisor to the Chief Minister, Subrata Gupta said on Thursday that the government was not planning to do away with Section 14Y altogether. Decisions on land use, he said, would be guided by the requirement and proposed use of individual parcels.
Speaking at the fourth edition of the Indo-Pacific Economic Conclave organised by BCC&I's and the Ministry of External Affairs, Gupta said the state had identified three-four land parcels that could be offered to chambers of commerce and industry associations through a limited auction process for developing product-specific industrial parks.
"Instead of the government trying to develop these parks, we would like the industry associations to develop them, and we will facilitate them," Gupta said.
The state, he added, was also willing to facilitate an industrial park dedicated to defence production.
The proposed land policy is also likely to incorporate land pooling, with Gupta citing the models followed in Haryana and Gujarat.
"In states like Haryana and Gujarat, land pooling policy is very much successful, so we will be following the model," he said.
The state government's approach comes days after it allotted around 256 acres in
Purulia to Jupiter Wagons for a large integrated defence manufacturing facility.
Land Port Authority of India chairman Jayant Singh said land acquisition for projects would become easier with the same political dispensation at the Centre and state, and expressed confidence that pending works at land ports would be completed by 2030.
Regional Passport Officer Ashish Middha highlighted the conclave's role in promoting economic, diplomatic and strategic engagement across the Indo-Pacific.
BCC&I president Abhijit Roy, Ambarish Dasgupta and advocate Sourya Mondal also spoke at the programme.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.