KOLKATA: The ruling Left Front reiterated at a meeting here on Monday that the interest of the farmers would be safeguarded at the time of acquisition of land for setting up new industries.

One of the priorities of the new Government is greater industrialisation without compromising on food security and progress achieved in the agricultural sector.

The Left Front partners unanimously decided that agricultural land would be made available for new industries without jeopardising the interests of the farmers, Biman Bose, chairman of the Left Front committee and secretary of the State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said after a meeting.

The issue of acquisition of land has become particularly ticklish in the wake of protests by some villagers at Singur in Hooghly district last week when a team of officials of Tata Motors visited the area to inspect possible sites for the setting up a Rs. 1,000-crore car manufacturing plant.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who attended the day's meeting of Left Front partners, has been maintaining that his Government would protect the interests of the farmers while acquiring land for setting up new industries.

Priority would be given to acquiring fallow or single-crop land wherever possible for the purpose.

Industrialisation, according to Mr. Bose, is imperative for creating job opportunities but the State could not afford to give up its self-sufficiency in food production either.

It was also emphasised at the meeting that the Government would provide owners of those lands to be acquired adequate compensation and an alternative means of livelihood.

The authorities would also ensure that the owners got more than the existing market price for their land.

Marginal farmers and those below the poverty line would be rehabilitated and given jobs.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail