Nirmal Bangla draws financial support from the plans sanctioned to states under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

State likely to retain land ceiling Act

With the auction route for land allocation unlikely to help realtors, facing acute land shortage for new development, the West Bengal government is set to bring out a new policy for land acquisition, meant specifically for land owned by private individuals or groups. However, much to the disappointment of developers, the government was unlikely to dissolve the urban land ceiling Act, one of the key demands of realtors, said sources.

The abrupt land acquisition resulted in farmers taking up menial jobs such as those under contract labour and housekeeping

The extensive highways in New Town at Rajarhat, a township on the fringes of this city, are dotted with sporadic high-rise buildings housing a remarkably high number of young office workers. However, the concept of a modern township is belied by vast open fields, which, incidentally, are also some of the largest grazing grounds in the city.

Insurers may be burning their fingers in urban health portfolios for some time now, but the government’s rural healthcare initiatives, including its decision to provide free generic drugs to public hospitals, are set to offer fresh avenues of growth for them.

The recent government decision to provide free generic drugs to government hospitals at an expense of $5.4 billion (Rs 29, 820 crore) could be a game-changer for the health insurance business in India. While insurers suffer a high claim ratio in urban centres, in excess of 100 per cent, the cost of health insurance in rural centres is expected to come down with the new regulation.

Developers dejected as govt rules out repeal of Urban Land Ceiling Act

The promise of Ma, Mati, Manush governance by Mamata Banerjee may fall short of the second M-word, meaning land — at least for real estate developers in the state’s capital city. For, the West Bengal government has now decided to bring in an amendment to the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act (ULCA), 1976, an eyesore of developers for quite some time.

Farmers at Singur are gearing up for hard labour this summer. Preparations are in full swing for transplanting paddy saplings into the fields, as a timely monsoon indicates a good crop.

The biggest struggles in the recent past might have been surrounding land and land acquisition, but risk mitigation through an insurance cover is still a far cry.

Thus, in case Tata Motors bids adieu to Singur, where the government passed a Bill to take back the land it had earlier given to the company for setting a factory, it will have no insurance cover to minimise losses.

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