Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s government has decided to release large tracts of vacant land, held by its refugee, rehabilitation and relief department, for housing estates and markets, a dental hospital and commercial projects.

On Monday, Nayan Sarkar, refugee, rehabilitation and relief minister, said the government will soon decide on putting to use about 58 acres for industrial purposes. His department will take over the land from the Union ministry, which has failed to utilise it since 1993.

“The modalities are yet to be worked out, but the Centre has agreed to hand over the land,” Sarkar said.

The plots, at Behala, Habra (in Ashoknagar), Chakdah, Durgapur, Bonhooghly, Gayeshpur, Ranaghat, Taherpur and Malda, were used by the Rehabilitation Industry Centre (RIC).

However, RIC ran up losses in 1992, and turned defunct. Thereafter, the RIC units were shut down and most workers have already been offered voluntary retirement.

“The state government had been asking for the land for long. The Centre has just agreed,” the minister added.

The land was originally owned by the state government and handed over to the Centre in 1987 for schemes that included silk weaving, handloom goods, utensils and so on, said department secretary B. Mahapatra.

“It was valued at Rs 70 crore in 1999. The land can be put to good use if it is handed over to the industries department,” minister Sarkar said.