Blocking use of land locked in closed units

KOLKATTA:The Sick Industries Companies Act, passed by the Centre in 1985, was standing in the way of using land locked up in closed industries in West Bengal for industrial purpose, the state's industry minister Nirupam Sen told the Assembly on Wesnesday.

Instead of farm land, the huge land now lying occupied by closed industries could be used for seting up new industry as demanded by opposition parties and even some Left Front constituents, but the BIFR, which was set up under the 1985 act, was still examining the proposals of revival or winding up of 334 industrial units in the state, the minister said.

Quoting the report of a consultancy agency set up by the state government, he said that over 41,000 acres of land lay idle because of the closed units including the state and Central PSUs.