Calcutta, Aug. 4: The Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government’s initiative on removing the urban and rural land ceiling collapsed today. The West Bengal Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill was unanimously passed in the Assembly only after deleting the controversial provision that sought to allow holding of land in excess of the ceiling.

“We have brought about this bill to put a stop to speculation on land, which is a scarce commodity in our state,” said Abdur Rezzak Molla, land and land reforms minister. “Our objective is also to protect the interest of a few million poor farmers who voted us to office.”

Bhattacharjee, however, could be said to have succeeded in getting the party and its key affiliates to ratify the government move to free up large tracts of land locked in scores of closed/sick industrial units.

Apparently, he avoided a showdown with the intra-CPM opponents of the move on rural land ceiling in view of next year’s Assembly elections and the party leadership’s advice of restraint in the face of growing opposition.

A storm was brewing over the past few weeks in the state CPM over the bill that pitted powerful groups against one another on ideological and electoral compulsions.

Though Molla presented the bill under pressure from Bhattacharjee, he did not balk at leading the intra-party opposition, apart from encouraging several Left Front partners into resisting the government’s initiative. The Opposition also took advantage of the divisions.

“I do not mind putting on record that I have reservations about the portion dealing with the ceiling, even though the fact remains that I have presented the bill,” Molla said.

Central to the controversy was the Bhattacharjee government’s now-dropped move to amend Section 14(q) of the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, 1955, to facilitate a flow of investment into cash crops, tourism, contract farming, education infrastructure and plantations.

One of the reasons the government pressed for the amendment was to make it easier for several large investors to obtain large tracts of land for projects.

“Even I had reservation about Section 14(q),” Bhattacharjee said at Writers’ Buildings following the passage of the bill. “And, please remember, there is no difference between me and Molla?. I don’t know how 14(q) appeared in the draft bill? maybe somebody overlooked it.”

Government officials said today’s development was expected to impact projects proposed by the Ambanis, ISKCON and the Sahara group. According to Molla, Salim Group, the Indonesian conglomerate, may have to rework its proposal for a string of projects in South 24-Parganas where it has sought over 5,000 acres.

“I want to make one thing clear,” Molla told a news conference. “I do not know (executives of) Salim Group personally, but what I do know is that I shall not allow any group, foreign or otherwise, to grab fertile land in Baruipur or Bhangar for building a township. If Salim and others are so keen, they can be asked to go to Purulia or Bankura where large tracts are still available, ’’ he said.

Township hope

Officials, however, said today’s development might not hit the interests of the Salim Group because a 2002 amendment to the Land Reforms Act exempts townships from the impact of ceilings.

“Besides, if necessary, the government can acquire land to help and expedite the project. But the proposed Dhirubhai Ambani centre for excellence and the ISKCON expansion at Mayapur may get hit,” a senior official said.