Bengal seeks to formulate pro-farmer industrial policy

KOLKATA: Taking lessons from Singur and Nandigram, the West Bengal government is trying to minimise use of agricultural land for setting up industry and is in the process of formulating an appropriate compensation and rehabilitation policy in case of land acquisition.

The government has circulated a discussion paper to the ministers belonging to Left Front partners like CPI, Forward Bloc and RSP seeking their opinion for formulating a pro-farmer industrial policy.

The ministers belonging to Left Front partners have been asked to give their comment on the draft policy as early as possible, Front sources said.

State finance minister Ashim Dasgupta had on Wednesday informed the state Assembly that the government was considering a change in its land acquisition policy for industrialisation purpose to protect farmers' interest.

Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee had already discussed this with his cabinet colleagues, he said adding it would be the government's endeavour to see that farmers' interest was well protected in case of land acquisition.

The paper said, "To minimise usage of agricultural land for industrial use and to achieve a balanced and sustainable industrial growth, the state government was seeking to implement a policy for location of industries in a manner so as to maximise the use of uncultivable land, locate industries in backward areas and develop industrial clusters".