By IANS,
Kolkata : The Congress Sunday promised a transparent and efficient policy for acquiring land for industrialisation in West Bengal and proper compensation to the owners, if it comes to power in the state in the April-May assembly elections that it is contesting as an ally of the Trinamool Congress. It also assured a solution of the Darjeeling issue without the state’s division.
The Congress manifesto for the elections, released here by Finance Minister and senior party leader Pranab Mukherjee, promised that in the wake of proposed amendment to the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, there would re-assessment of land acquisition procedures and techniques in West Bengal. It also promised that more transparency will be brought in the procedure.
The manifesto also attacked the shut-down culture imported by the state’s ruling Marxist as the main reason behind the ailing industrial situation of the state.
The 31-page manifesto also said the party wants a solution of the Darjeeling problem through dialogue and would never allow division of Bengal. It also promised restoration of law and order in the state and would vowed to undertake administrative reforms.
The Congress also vowed to provide drinking water and electricity to each and every house of Bengal.
It said marketing federations would be formed to distribute the agricultural products, and fishermen of the Sunderban area would get loans to buy fishing trawlers. It also promised steps to stop illegal poaching in the Sunderbans.
The manifesto also promised that it would take special steps to implement various central projects in the state.
The Trinamool will contest 226 assembly seats and Congress will fight in 65 constituencies of the 294-member assembly. The other three seats have been allotted to smaller alliance partners like the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI).