Any government knows how difficult it is to acquire land for public projects these days, even in exchange for cash and jobs. However, a completely different scene unfolded at the district magistrate’s office in Jalpaiguri on Tuesday.

Twelve residents of Kranti under Malbazar subdivision met district magistrate Moumita Godara Basu to say that they were ready to part with their land free of cost for the construction of the office of the block development officer (BDO) and other state government offices needed at the block level.

Earlier this year, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had announced two new blocks in Jalpaiguri. It was decided that Kranti would be a new block, the other being Banarhat.

Kunja Kishore Roy, a resident of Kranti Bazaar area, and 11 others, who called themselves members of a citizens’ forum, Kranti Nagarik Committee, handed over a declaration in writing to the district magistrate that they were offering land to the state government for free. The 12 residents said they were happy that the Mamata Banerjee government had heard their longstanding demand to declare Kranti as a separate block.

The first BDO of the block is already working out of the local Karma Tirtha, a state-owned building that offers space for shops to eligible jobless youths at lower rent.

“We want the state government to expedite the process of building the BDO office and other offices of state departments needed to be set up at the block level. To ensure that the government does not face any problem in getting land, we are offering our land free of cost. We do not need any compensation or job,” said Roy.

Sources said that after the state had issued the notification that the new block would have six panchayats — Lataguri, Kranti, Champadanga, Chengmari, Rajadanga and Maulani — under it, the district administration had started scouting for land in the area for its offices.

“Some patches of land were found near the bank of the Dharala river, which flows through the block but is away from Kranti market. However, residents of Kranti want the BDO’s office to come up at a more accessible location in Kranti, which is why they took the initiative to offer free land,” said a source.

Jogen Sarkar, the secretary of the committee, said the 12 members in all offered six bighas or 120 cottahs of land to the administration. “They are offering it for free as they are happy about the new block. We feel the administration should accept the proposal.”

The district magistrate said the administration was indeed in search of land for the new offices. “We appreciate this gesture and will forward this proposal to the BDO and the panchayat samiti. If they approve it and send it back to me, we don’t have any problem in using their land to set up the office of the BDO and other ancillary offices.”