DLF Committed to Dankuni Township Project Despite Government's Land Acquisition Halt
Real estate giant DLF remains steadfast in its commitment to the Dankuni township project, despite recent uncertainty surrounding the West Bengal government's decision to suspend land purchases. DLF officials associated with the Dankuni project affirmed the company's dedication, stating, “The company remains committed to the project. The government has not briefed DLF about any of its strategy about the township, after the minister’s comment.”
Halting the project would represent a substantial setback not only for DLF but also for West Bengal. The project was awarded to DLF through a global tender after a thorough assessment of its commercial viability. The land acquisition process in Dankuni is currently on hold. Following the panchayat elections, the newly elected representatives on the land procurement committee, all members of the opposition Trinamool Congress, expressed their opposition to the project. Furthermore, they have yet to formally assume their positions, according to sources at the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).
The KMDA, responsible for overseeing the project, has not received any official communication from the state urban development department regarding the minister's announcement. This lack of communication is particularly noteworthy given that the announcement to cancel the land purchase proposal came from the departmental minister, A. Bhattacharya. Given the prevailing circumstances, DLF officials confirmed that they do not anticipate commencing work on the proposed township within 2008, pushing the project six months behind schedule.
The controversy gained momentum recently when the state urban development minister, A. Bhattacharya, declared that the government would cease all land purchases, effectively stalling the Dankuni project. He justified this decision by citing opposition from political parties and landowners in the area. “The government would not do any purchase of land,” he stated, highlighting the contentious nature of the land acquisition process.
The ₹33,000 crore township project, encompassing 4,840 acres, represents one of the largest public-private partnership projects in India. Of the total project area, 771 acres were designated for industrial development, with plans for textile, food processing, and engineering industries. An additional 1,872 acres were earmarked for residential housing projects.