In a written reply to a question by Congress MLA Babubhai Shah, the state Revenue Department said that between April 2006 to November 2008, of the 155 applications received from entrepreneurs seeking government land for industrial purposes in Kutch, the Gujarat government had disposed of 97.

In these 97 cases, the government has allotted a total of 1,054,437 square metres of land to be used for industrial purposes. All applications were processed by the district industry centre and the state industry department, the reply stated.

By selling government land for industrial use, the state has earned a revenue Rs 6.55 crore, it added.

Kutch, geographically the largest district in Gujarat, has seen massive industrialisation after the 2001 earthquake, as the state and Centre had declared tax holidays for setting up industries in the district.