Kolkata

Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday pitched for a fresh land policy aimed at accelerating large-scale industrialisation in West Bengal, while assuring the business community of a stable and “fearless” investment environment in the state.

Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Kolkata, Bhattacharya addressed industry representatives for the first time after the Bharatiya Janata Party assumed power in the state.

During his address, the BJP leader indicated that a new land policy was under consideration to remove long-standing barriers to industrial growth. He also spoke about the possibility of scrapping the Urban Land Ceiling Act and introducing contract farming—both of which, he suggested, could significantly improve the investment climate and attract major industrial and corporate players.

Contract farming is currently not permitted in West Bengal, and Bhattacharya said introducing such a framework could open up substantial opportunities in agriculture-linked industries, food processing, and allied sectors.

He stressed that the state cannot secure its economic future without the establishment of large industries, adding that political interference and land acquisition challenges have historically discouraged investors from committing capital to West Bengal.

Bhattacharya pointed out that nearly 85 per cent of land holdings in the state are fragmented, which he described as a major hurdle to industrial expansion. He said the new administration was actively considering ways to address these structural constraints and remove obstacles that have long affected industrial development.

While acknowledging that earlier land reforms helped convert landless labourers into landowners, he said the state failed to move to the next stage of economic transformation through cooperative development and productive industrial participation.

Addressing entrepreneurs directly, Bhattacharya assured them that investments would be protected and that businesses would not face political obstruction or disputes over land under the new dispensation.

He, however, clarified that his remarks reflected his political vision and were not being made in an official government capacity, noting that he was not part of the administrative setup.

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Bhattacharya added that the proposed land reforms could draw inspiration from policy models implemented in states such as Haryana and Maharashtra. He also noted that nearly 82 per cent of land holdings in West Bengal are currently owned by small farmers, underlining the need for stronger industry participation to drive the state’s economic transformation.