West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi stressed the need for "social negotiation" for a "planned distribution of land and industry" in his Republic Day address here on Friday.
Touching on the subject of land for industry, which has stirred the anxieties of most Opposition parties and other groups in the face of the State Government's industrialisation drive, Mr. Gandhi emphasised that "this social negotiation has to be transparent, sincere and inclusive."

He was speaking in the context of the need to evolve "a long-term norm for land use and land conversion" in a State where the "predominant position of agriculture" is "a reality, a truth."
"At the same time, we have to acknowledge another reality, another truth, namely the need for industrial growth and for the creation of a climate conducive to such growth," Mr. Gandhi observed. The Governor had, on more than one occasion, visited the fasting Trinamool Congress leader, Mamata Banerjee, during her 25-day hunger strike in protest against the alleged forcible acquisition of farmland for a car manufacturing plant at Singur in the State's Hooghly district.
He repeatedly asked Ms. Banerjee to call off her fast and sit for discussions on the issue with the State Government on an invitation extended by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

'Involve gram panchayats' "Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has repeatedly said that he is prepared for discussions. Opposition leaders have told me that they are also prepared to sit for dialogue. They do have pre-conditions. Even these, I believe, should be a subject for discussion. The lowest rung, that is the gram panchayats, should also be enlisted in this process of social negotiation," Mr. Gandhi said in his message.