Nobel laureate Yunus supports acquisition of farm land in Bengal

KOLKATA: Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus on Sunday backed the acquisition of agricultural land for industries but said the government would have to ensure that farmers were not hit hard by the process.

"Peasants will have to part with their lands for setting up industries which will lead to economic growth," Yunus, who won last year's Nobel Peace prize for pioneering the concept of micro-credit in Bangladesh, told reporters at the airport here after his arrival on a three-day visit to the city.

The government should see to it that farmers were not hard hit by the process, he said.

"There is also no scope for dispute over SEZs. We cannot sit idle over the issue as the world has already accepted the idea," he said.

Asked about the possibility of implementing the Grameen Bank model in West Bengal, Yunus said there would be no difficulty.

"I want to launch another project named Social Business to ensure health, drinking water and housing for the people. The purpose is to curb the tendency to make profit out of such projects," he said.

"The people should come forward and take up such projects on their own. The involvement of government should be spared."

Receiving Yunus at the airport, state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said the Nobel laureate had been invited to visit West Bengal on April 6-7 as the government has decided to honour him with a public reception.