Calcutta, Oct. 13: The government today issued a written statement saying the land allotted to an educational foundation off EM Bypass was not recorded as a fishery as claimed by the fisheries minister yesterday.

“The plot is a vested land classified as layek (bushy) jungle and was never recorded as a fishery. Nor was it ever settled with any fisheries co-operative/fishermen by the land and land reforms department or KMDA for pisciculture purpose,’’ the statement issued by the state information and cultural affairs department said.

Minister Kiranmoy Nanda had yesterday said that a part of a 120-acre “water body” where “120 fishermen have been fishing for 20 years” had been handed over to the foundation without consulting him. The South 24-Parganas DM had contested the minister’s claim.

Nanda tonight said: “I will not say anything on land re- cords.”