Learning from the experience of Singur and Nandigram in West Bengal and the Tatas’ inability to acquire land in Tuticorin for its Rs 2,500 crore titanium di-oxide plant, the Tamil Nadu Government has decided against industrial parks coming up in fertile lands.

Under the new industrial policy, unveiled by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi here on Monday, private industrial parks must buy land directly from the owners and the land should as far as possible be barren, non-irrigated and dry.

Proposals with more than 10 per cent wet land or double crop land will be rejected, the policy says.

Five pc only

These private industrial parks should be located at least 50 km from Chennai and should not include more than five per cent of Government land. 

The Government has also decided to develop a land bank of 10,000 acres with quality infrastructure over the next five years for industrial parks to be developed by State-owned SIPCOT and TIDCO.

The land bank will be mostly developed on dry and barren lands. Prime agriculture lands will be avoided.