Land return possible: Mollah

The former minister for Land and Land Reforms in the Left Front government,Abdur Rezzak Mollah today said the land return to unwilling farmers in Singur was possible as per the provisions of law. “I heard that out of 1000 acres of land in Singur,the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) leased out 600 acres to Tatas and kept 400 acres with them for ancillary units. If WBIDC wants,they can return this land to farmers,’’ Mollah said on Saturday.

Mollah’s remarks created a flutter among officers of the Land and Land Reforms department. “The Commerce and Industries department has kept so many things under wraps,’’ a Land department official said. Another senior official of the state government also said the WBIDC did not lease out much of the land where the ancillary units are supposed to come up. “If you have the political will,you can do it,’’ the official said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday asked for a copy of the agreement between the state government and the Tatas and when told that the document was with the Commerce and Industries department she immediately told them to give her a copy by Monday.