West Bengal to unveil new investment and land policies soon

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced plans for comprehensive investment and land policies, including land pooling, to facilitate industrial growth without forcible acquisition. Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Amit Metaliks' Rs 4,000-crore greenfield steel plant in Purulia on Monday, he said the state would follow successful models from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Employment generation would be a key criterion for incentives, replacing the earlier focus on investment size alone.

Adhikari alleged that land was taken forcibly during the 34-year Left Front regime and that industrialists were left to arrange land themselves during the subsequent 15-year TMC rule. Under the proposed land pooling policy, farmers would retain a stake in development and benefit from land value appreciation, unlike one-time compensation under conventional acquisition. Investors putting in over Rs 100 crore would get state-level clearances without approaching local bodies.

The chief minister urged Amit Metaliks to complete its plant in 800 days instead of the 1,000-day deadline and prioritise local hiring. He said the government would act on recommendations from a group of ministers led by Industry Minister Tapas Roy to implement the policy changes quickly.