The West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC), which functions under the state commerce and industry ministry, on Tuesday handed over unused plots to two companies for setting up units at Raninagar industrial estate on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town.

This was a part of the state commerce and industry department's move to take back land unused by private entrepreneurs from industrial estates spread across the state and hand it over to entrepreneurs and companies interested in setting up industrial units.

“In Raninagar, nine such plots are lying vacant. In some cases, the company that had taken the land on lease didn’t develop any unit while in others, the industrial units are lying closed for years. We have started the process of taking back the land from the companies which intend to set up new units and have applied to us for land in the industrial estates,” said Santanu Chatterjee, the executive engineer of WBIIDC posted in Raninagar.

He said that on Tuesday, a plot of 1.41 acres, earlier taken by JALPA (a local milk cooperative), was handed over to Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. The company, sources said, will set up an office and ancillary facilities for its gas pipeline project.

Another plot of 0.25 acres, which was taken by a private company to set up a jute mill, has been taken back and allotted to another company for a bitumen-making unit.

“Twenty to 22 acres of land are lying unused at the industrial estate. Earlier, we had taken back another such land and leased it out to a company for a hatchery here. The process has started and notices have been served to five other companies to respond. If they are not interested in setting up industrial units, they should return the land to us,” Chatterjee added.

In 1984, the then Left Front government had taken the initiative to set up the industrial estate on 148.3 acres. In 1990, distribution of plots started and 28 companies were provided land on lease.

After the Trinamul government came to power, it found that patches of land were unused in the industrial estates. In due course, the decision to cancel some leases and take back unused land started.

A senior industrialist based in Siliguri said many private companies were interested in setting up units in unused land at these industrial estates because basic infrastructure such as roads, sewerage, power supply and drinking water were available.

“That is why at least seven applications for land are lying with WBIIDC in Raninagar. It is a good initiative and will help the state in getting fresh investments that can create jobs locally,” he said.