The Videocon [Get Quote] group will directly acquire land from the farmers with the West Bengal government assistance for its special economic zones in the state.

Venugopal N Dhoot, chairman, Videocon group of companies said, it would be a tripartite agreement between the state government, company and the land owners.

He said the price would be negotiated by the company and the land would also be acquired by the company while the government would play the role of a facilitator.

Dhoot was speaking at the annual general meeting of the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce.

If it materialises then it would be a deviation from the procedure adopted by the West Bengal government for land acquisition.

The West Bengal government is of the opinion that the land should be acquired by the West Bengal Industrial and Development Corporation and leased to the companies. The only exception was JSW Steel's [Get Quote] steel project at Salboni in West Medinipur, where 90 per cent land was vested with the government and the balance was to be acquired by the company directly from the land owners.

Dhoot said land could acquisition was possible if farmers were taken into confidence.

He said in West Bengal farmers would be given jobs upfront, which meant that even before the SEZ project was completed, some land-losers could get jobs.

The company has implemented this model in Aurangabad, where it is setting up a multi-product SEZ.

"We have given 200 jobs in Aurangabad to land-losers," he said.

In West Bengal, the Videocon group has lined up a series of SEZs. The group planned to set up five SEZs in the state.

Apart from the IT SEZ, which would create around 30,000 jobs, the other SEZs would create another 50,000 jobs.

Dhoot said the group would be able to give at least 800 jobs to farmers upfront in any one of its projects. He said unsilled workers would be trained and then absorbed.