No pull out from Bengal : Salim assures

Kolkata, Jan 10 (UNI) Ruling out any possibility of pull out from West Bengal following turmoil over land acquisition, the Indonesian Salim Group today asserted that it would continue with the proposed projects in the state.

"We will continue with all projects, including SEZs, roads and bridges...There is no question of thinking otherwise...We shall wait till we get the land is acquired," Salim group spokesman Prasoon Mukherjee told reporters at the Writers Building.

Mr.Mukherjee, who himself is an NRI businessman acting as a facilitator of the Salim group, said the work for the proposed projects would start after land was acquired. "It does not matter how long it takes to acquire the land," he said in reply to a question.

His assertion came a day after Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee hinted at a go slow on the process of land acquisition following violent protest at Nandigram in East Midnapore district where an SEZ for a chemical hub, to be developed by the Salim Group was slated to come up. The land area for the proposed SEZ is 10,000 acres.

The Salim Group also has proposals for setting up another SEZ in South 24 Parganas district besides the projects for a Basirhat-Raichak expressway and a bridge over the Ganga connecting Kukrahati to reduce the journey time to the port and industrial town of Haldia.

UNI