Need for a clear policy on land: Buddhadeb

Amid the dispute over farm land allotment to Tata Motors at Singur, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee today said the government would come out with a clear policy on land allotment.

Bhattacharjee told a business seminar organised by WBIDC and Consular Corps of Kolkata the policy should be made in such a way so that there was no opposition while giving land for industrial use.

He said the government had laid a policy paper in the assembly on November 30, adding the status report on land use in West Bengal was being prepared.

He said the government had also set up a land use board under the chairmanship of an ISI professor.

According to him, 62% of total land was agricultural, while 1% was wasteland and 13% forest land.

Bhattacharjee said the government would now have to see how much of farmland could be converted for industrial use and build townships.

The chief minister said that the government was now collecting data from land revenue department and district administrations.