Land committee set up by Mamata to give suggestions on land policy

Honouring the election pledge of Trinamool Congress to have a transparent land policy in West Bengal, the state government today set up a committee which will submit suggestions on its formulation.

The government would have a transparent land policy, a land map and bank, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters after setting up the committee.

The anti-land acquisition movements in Singur and Nandigram led by Banerjee have changed the course of politics in the state and catapulted her party to power, dislodging the Left Front which remained in power for 34 years.

The chief minister said directions have been given to prepare a list of unutilised land of state government departments.

"We want to bring all areas relating to land under one umbrella before setting up a land bank which will be followed by formulation of a land map," Banerjee said. The two-member committee comprises retires IAS officer Debabrata Bandopadhyay and Soumendranath Basu.