West Bengal Finance and Industry Minister Amit Mitra on Wednesday sought the help of FICCI to utilise the vast tracts of land now lying with the closed units in the state. Fears about land availability has loomed large over the state’s industrialisation prospects.
Delivering a special address at a session on Investment Opportunities in West Bengal at a FICCI National Executive Committee Meeting, he sought the apex industry body’s collaboration on many issues the resumption of direct international flights. “ Coming to your meeting is like home-coming for me”, quipped the minister who was the FICCI’s director general till he joined Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.
Although Chief Minister Banerjee was invited to the meet she was unable to come as she had a prior commitment at a meeting of Self Help Group of women entrepreneurs. “ That is also an entrepreneurs’ meet’ quipped Mr.Mitra.
He reiterated at the FICCI meeting that that the Trinamool Congress’ stand against forcible land acquisition for industry, was now a national model.
“The land policy of the present government under Mamata Banerjee clearly states that there will be no forcible land acquisition from farmers. This is now being followed elsewhere,” he said. Citing recent protests by farmers at Noida, Mr. Mitra said that some states like Uttar Pradesh were now towing the west Bengal government’s line. He said the State has one lakh acres under various government departments which was readily available for setting up industries. Land problem is there everywhere but this is land on the table he said.
Responding to a query on whether the land lying with closed units in the state could be unlocked and sold to the state government, the minister urged FICCI to “take the lead in forming a core committee which will talk to industry to take this initiative forward”. He however added that there were some complexities involved in this process including bank liabilities of these sick units and mortgages on the land. “ We need to navigate these issues .. Can FICCI help us”, he asked the gathering. Mr. Mitra also wanted the industry body to take up the issue of resumption of direct flights to Europe.
Highlighting the progress of the state in various fields during the last four years of Trinamool Congress rule, he said all macro-parameters such as per capita income, plan expenditure, capital expenditure had improved while e-governance measures had pushed the state’s domestic product growth. He said that the state had bagged an award for e-governance, topping other states.
