Lands of closed factories to be used for new ones

The state government has decided to utilise the lands of the closed factories to set up new ones. Preferences will be given to set up IT industries in those plots.

This decision has been taken to create more job opportunities in the state by setting up new industries in place of the closed or "sick" ones.

The decision has been taken in the meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee on industries and infrastructure held in the state Secretariat, Nabanna, on Monday. State Finance minister Amit Mitra headed the meeting. The final nod in this regard will be given by the Cabinet. It is expected that it would be placed in the next Cabinet meeting itself on an urgent basis.

The decision has been taken to take the lands of the closed industries following discussions with owners of those factories.

In case an owner of a closed factory wants land of equal area, the state government will compensate it with plots from its land bank.

Sources said after taking the land, senior officers of the state government will be preparing a blueprint to ensure proper utilisation of the plots for "industrialisation only".

It is learnt that after completing the process of taking over the plots of the closed industries from their owners, the state government will take interested industrialists to show those plots. They will decide that which plot would help them better to set up the new industry in the place of the closed ones.

Preferences will be given to industrialists interested in setting up IT or ITeS industries.

There are several factories in the state where "suspension of work" is continuing for years. Despite taking several steps, it had not become possible to resume work in those factories. So the state government has decided to take the plots and utilise them in a better way so that more youth in the state get jobs.

Sources said that the matter of the future of the workers of the factories that are under suspension of work for years have also been discussed. It is learnt that it will also be taken care off.

It may be recalled that the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government had faced criticisms for forcefully acquiring around 1,000 acre land in Singur to set up Tata's small car project. At the same time, the then Left Front government had failed to answer that why lands of closed factories were not utilised to set up new industries and instead, a multi-crop land was taken away from farmers to set up the industry.

Now, the Mamata Banerjee government has decided to utilise the land to set up industries to create job opportunities on the plots of closed industries.

The state government already has a list containing details of the factories where work is under suspension at present. After getting the final nod of the Cabinet, the state government will initiate the procedure of approaching owners of the closed industries.

The state government has already decided to take over Dunlop and Jessop. The state government is also giving a grant every month to its employees till the Centre's nod on the take over comes.

It may be mentioned that land mafias had initiated grabbing plots of closed factories during the Left Front regime.