CM urges Opposition to support development in state

Kalaikunda, Dec 10 (UNI) Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today urged the Opposition in the state not to oppose development in West Bengal.

He was expressing his desire in the open session of the 20th District Conference of West Midnapore District CPI(M) committee here this afternoon.

''I am perplexed over what the Opposition parties want in the state,'' he remarked and added, ''While the Opposition elsewhere in the country are cooperating with their respective governments on the economic front, the Opposition here are doing just the opposite.

''Whether it is in Singur or in Nandigram, in Sagardighi or elsewhere in the state, their attitude is always destructive. It is unfortunate that the Left Front constituents are also toeing their line regarding these projects,'' Mr Bhattacharjee reiterated.

Addressing the left front constituents, he warned them that unless they stand united they would perish.

''The Congress is also trying to trap us. Don't be allured by these elements, he warned.

While referring to the Nandigram issue, he said, ''We wanted to set up a second Haldia at Nandigram. AITC should have at least kept the possibility of employment for their own children in mind and not resisted the project.'' He further said that taking up developmental projects was the only panacea for all economic ailments and added, ''The government is trying to develop such projects through the Paschimanchal Unnayan in the western part of the state, where Maoists are spreading their tentacles.

''The problem has been contained in our state. However, in neighbouring Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa, the governments are silent spectators to the Maoist activities,'' he said.

Coming down heavily on the media in the state, politbureau member and state CPM Secretary Biman Basu said that foreign money is playing its role in down-sizing the image of the Left Front in the state.

''Reactionary forces are trying to break up the relation between laborers and farmers in the state,'' Mr Basu maintainred and added, ''Forign money is trying to control the media, which in turn is trying to paint our image black.

UNI