Calcutta, June 3: The recent rural poll results have put a question mark on the state’s plans for the Rs 40,000-crore Dankuni township to be developed by DLF.

Urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya today said the project could fall through because the composition of the committee meant to fa-cilitate purchase of land for the venture would change after the polls. It will now be Trinamul Congress-dominated.

“There will be a change in the committee with the Opposition winning many panchayat samiti and gram panchayat seats (in the area) and the government will have to convince the panel about the need for the township. If the talks fail, the committee refuses to see reason in our argument, we’ll obviously not use force and the project will fall through,” the minister said.

“The township would have been a boon to everyone. This has to be explained to the people as well as the new procurement committee,” he added.

The project requires about 4,800 acres, of which the government has managed to purchase some 200 acres.

The Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority was to have bought the land through the procurement panel and handed it over to the real estate company.

For the Dankuni project, the government did not take the land acquisition route but instead settled for direct purchase through the procurement committee.

The Hooghly district mag-istrate is the convener of the panel that includes three panchayat samiti chiefs and eight gram panchayat pradhans besides the MLAs from Chanditala, Champdani, Uttarpara and Singur.

Trinamul has won two of the three samitis and all eight gram panchayats. Of the four MLAs, three belong to the Left, but Singur is Trinamul’s.

Bhattacharya clarified that the government wouldn’t use force to get the land. “There is no question of forcible purchase of land. We shall try to make the people realise the necessity of the township. If that fails, it would be unfortunate not to be able to carry on with the project.”

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Partha Chatterjee, said the government should come up with a policy on land acquisition. “Let it not be the case of ministers speaking in turns. The government as a whole should announce a transparent acquisition policy on Dankuni and other projects after taking the Opposition into confidence.”

Asked whether the government would convene an all-party meeting to build a consensus, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said: “You will come to know when the time comes.”

A senior DLF official said: “DLF wants invest nearly Rs 40,000 crore in the township. If not allowed, this money will go to some other state.”

“We don’t want to go against the wishes of the people or the government. If the people don’t want us, the company has little choice.”

DLF had agreed to pay Rs 55 lakh an acre for the land. It had won the right to develop the township through an international bidding.

The official said: “Many states are inviting us to set up projects. But we are not going to take any hasty decision or push our case with the (Bengal) government.”

The company had promised one job to each landloser family. “If people do not support (us) even after this, what can be done?” the official asked.

He ruled out the possibility of direct talks with the Opposition parties. “DLF has not received any communication from the state. So we are not going to take any fresh initiative.”