Calcutta, April 5: Housing minister Gautam Deb today hinted that a “Bengal-specific’’ policy on land acquisition was needed for infrastructure projects, in an apparent departure from the decision taken at the party’s Vijayawada meeting last year.

Addressing a media conference at Alimuddin Street today, Deb said: “Let us talk about Bengal-specific cases rather than looking at an all-India picture. Here, 85 per cent land is in the possession of small farmers. We will have to try to avoid taking the land of small peasants. But can we say that land of unwilling farmers will never be taken if an important road or highway needs to be constructed?’’

“In Bengal, can we say that we will not touch agricultural land? If that happens, can any project come up here?’’ he asked.

Deb’s “Bengal-specific’’ stand is contrary to the party’s Vijayawada resolution that acquisition will be done only after seeking the consent of land owners and that land of small farmers will not be taken. The party had also decided that it would demand the scrapping of the “archaic’’ Land Acquisition Act, 1894, which provides for forcible takeover for public purpose.

Asked whether he was trying to suggest that the CPM resolution was unrealistic, Deb said: “I am not saying that. But consider Bengal’s case. Here, we have very little fallow land. We cannot set up industries only in Purulia. How can we say that there will be no industry in the entire stretch of south Bengal?’’

In case of infrastructure projects such as building of roads, Deb suggested that additional land be taken alongside the project so that stalls can be set up for small farmers who lose land.