Kolkata, August 24: The West Bengal government is preparing to announce its new industrial policy by mid-September this year. A provision may be introduced to make landowners stakeholders in industrial units.
To address the challenges associated with land acquisition, the government is considering including this proposal in the new industrial policy. During the tenure of the Left Front government led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, various issues arose during land acquisition.
Significant movements regarding land acquisition for industries took place in the state, first concerning the small car project in Singur, Hooghly district, and later regarding the chemical hub project in Nandigram, East Midnapore district.
An official involved in drafting the new industrial policy stated that under the broader proposals to make landowners stakeholders in relevant industrial units, there could be two options to achieve this goal.
The official mentioned, “The first option is to employ a family member of the landowner in the proposed industrial unit. The second option enables landowners to start enterprises that provide ‘indirect support’ to meet the needs of the main industrial unit.”
Typically, large industrial units, whether in the manufacturing or service sector, have the potential for auxiliary industries, which can be both ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ enterprises.
The official explained, “’Direct support’ entrepreneurs supply technically specialized equipment to the main industries, and thus there may not be room for landowners to become stakeholders in this sector. However, there is significant scope for ‘indirect support’ enterprises in large industries, through which landowners can be made stakeholders.”
Examples of such “indirect support” enterprises include local sewing units run on a cooperative basis that supply uniforms for factory workers, or similarly operated canteens that provide lunch boxes for factory staff.
Earlier this month, the state’s Commerce and Industry Minister, Tapas Roy, announced that the new industrial policy would prioritize sectors with strong demand for small auxiliary businesses, commonly referred to as ‘ancillary industries.’
These sectors include textiles and garments, iron and steel, heavy electrical equipment, the automotive industry, and information technology (IT) and electronics. In North Bengal, the proposed new industrial policy focuses on ‘Triple-T’ (Tea, Timber, and Tourism).
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.