Kolkata, Sep 24 The West Bengal government is looking at ways to facilitate implementation of projects where land has already been allotted but investments have failed to take off, including allowing changes in project plans instead of reclaiming plots, Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal said on Thursday.
Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Adani Arogya Mandir, Agarwal said the state government could consider giving land allottees an opportunity to revise their plans if the originally proposed projects had not materialised, subject to evaluation of the fresh proposals and their employment potential.
“Technically, we could have taken back the land as per the lease conditions. But, the chief minister has asked us to give them an opportunity to change their plans for the land,” he said without providing details.
Agarwal said employment generation would be an important consideration while evaluating such proposals, with 100 jobs per acre being considered as a benchmark.
“Those proposals that meet this benchmark will get priority,” he said.
Commenting on the Bengal Silicon Valley Tech Hub, the chief secretary said the previous TMC government had earmarked around 250 acre, and land parcels were allotted to 42 companies to invest in the technology hub.
“But, the details we have got today, only five companies have completed their projects and are utilising around 20 acre, with an investment of nearly Rs 2,000 crore and employment of about 1,000 people,” he said.
The Silicon Valley land had been offered for high-technology industries, including data centres.
The BJP government’s approach to allowing a change in project plans assumes significance in the case of the Adani Group, which was allotted 51.75 acres in the Silicon Valley hub on a 99-year lease to set up a 100 per cent hyperscale data centre park through its subsidiary Bengal Tech Park.
The Adani Group on Thursday laid the foundation stone for a 2,000-bed hospital, Adani Arogya Mandir, on the same plot of land.
Agarwal did not specify whether a change in the purpose of land use would attract any additional fee or charges, particularly as the plots were allotted at rates substantially below prevailing market prices for specified purposes.
(PTI News)
