Bengal to get new land policy within 100 days of swear-in, says Samik

Kolkata: Bengal will get a comprehensive land and data policies within 100 days of the new govt's swearing-in, state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya announced while addressing members of the Bharat Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata on Monday.Speaking to TOI, Bhattacharya said the new land policy — a prerequisite, he argued, for any serious industrialisation — could follow the Punjab model of land acquisition, under which landowners receive a portion of fully developed land elsewhere in addition to monetary compensation for every acre acquired."Without a comprehensive land policy, industrialisation will not happen. (Former CM) Mamata Banerjee said the state would not acquire land for industry, and with fragmented landholdings, it is impossible to set up large industries under such a policy," he said. He added that the party has already discussed industry incentives, including tax holidays, with Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.On natural resources, Bhattacharya said ONGC had sent 21 letters to the previous state govt for petroleum mining licences for oil exploration in Ashoknagar and Ranaghat — all unanswered. He also flagged Bengal's manganese reserves in Bankura and rare earth minerals in Purulia as untapped opportunities.Bhattacharya was careful to draw a distinction between the party and the govt. "We cannot dictate terms and conditions to the state govt. It will be run by the chief minister and council of ministers. We can only give suggestions," he said.He took a dig at the previous regime, saying that "even tea vendors used to be registered as MSMEs" and that despite Bengal's geographical advantages — three international borders and borders with multiple states — the state had become "a land of migratory labourers, which is a shame."