BJP signals possible repeal of urban land ceiling law in West Bengal
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The BJP has indicated that it may repeal West Bengal’s Urban Land Ceiling Act of 1976, a move that could significantly alter land acquisition and development in the state.
The law, which limits private ownership of vacant urban land in areas such as Kolkata, Asansol, and Durgapur, was scrapped by the central government in 1999. However, West Bengal retained it under successive Left Front and Trinamool Congress governments.
The legislation caps private holdings, generally at 500 square metres, and allows the state to acquire excess land to prevent concentration of urban property ownership.
Speaking at an event organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said the party was considering removing the law and introducing reforms such as contract farming and a new land policy.
Bhattacharya said the Urban Land Ceiling Act had become a major hurdle for development and assured industry representatives that businesses would not face political interference in future industrial projects.
He also proposed a land acquisition model similar to those used in Punjab, Haryana, and Maharashtra, where additional land acquired for development could later be returned in part to original landowners after infrastructure improvements.
Industry bodies welcomed the remarks, saying the law had slowed urban growth and led to fragmented and unplanned development.
Sushil Mohta, chairman of Merlin Group and president of CREDAI West Bengal, said repealing the law could help attract foreign investment, multinational companies, and large-scale development projects to Kolkata and other cities in the state.
He argued that retaining the law had prevented optimal use of urban land and resulted in small, unplanned construction projects instead of integrated development.
Several states, including Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Rajasthan, have already repealed the law.
Economist Sanjeev Sanyal recently said Kolkata’s economic decline over the decades had hurt eastern India’s growth potential and suggested that changing political conditions could create new opportunities for the region’s development.