Kolkata, Dec 11 (IANS) West Bengal’s ruling Left Front partner, the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), Friday conceded that the combine has failed to provide the people an alternative livelihood to agriculture despite carrying out comprehensive land reforms during its 32-year stint in power.
“We have undertaken comprehensive land reforms, but failed to provide the people an alternative livelihood to agriculture. We have distributed land without discussing the means of production,” AIFB national general secretary Debabrata Biswas told media persons here.

To questions on the vexed issue of acquiring agricultural land for industries, Biswas said: “We (the Left) had brought issues of land, water forests into prominence in the past. I think for development, we have to take people into confidence”.

He said the flaws in the AIFB and the Left’s policies and ideals will be discussed in the state conference beginning Friday and the 16th party congress slated to be held Dec 17-21 at the Mahajati Sadan.

The controversy over a proposed nuclear power plant at Haripur in the state’s East Midnapore district will also figure in both the party programmes, he said.

Despite the Indian and Russian governments selecting Haripur as a site for n-power plant, the state’s main opposition Trinamool Congress has been leading a peasants’ agitation against it.

Stating that leftist ideals are coming under increasing attack of late, Biswas said the issues will be discussed threadbare by the party.

“We will try to chart out an alternative roadmap for the Left. Alternatives to globalisation will also come up,” he said.

Supporting the creation of a Telengana state to be carved out of Andhra Pradesh, he said: “We had earlier told the central government to declare it as a new state”.

However, he blamed the central government for the chaos resulting from statehood demands being raised from various parts of the country after New Delhi conceded Telengana.

“We had earlier told the central government that state reorganisation committee should be formed. The commission would have set up specific parameters for creating a new state. But they did not listen to us. This has led to the present crisis,” Biswas added.

More than 1,000 delegates from 23 states, besides 30 representatives from 18 fraternal parties abroad will attend the AIFB Congress.