West Bengal govt wading into another land question: Here's why

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had reaped rich political dividend from her agitation against “forcible” land acquisition for Tata Motors’ Nano project in Singur.

But into her third term with an overwhelming mandate in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, the state government is set to embark on its most ambitious land procurement process.

Earlier this month, Banerjee announced a detailed Rs10,000-crore compensation and rehabilitation package for a West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL) greenfield coal mining project.

The coal block, considered to be India’s largest, was allotted by the Central government a few years ago. It has around 1,198 million tonnes