No industrialisation without people's assent: Buddhadeb

Heria, Feb 11 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today assured the people of Nandigram in East Midnapore that there would be no industrialisation in the area without their consent.

Addressing a public meeting after distributing ''Pattas'' to 5040 farmers here, the Chief Minister said, ''More than Rs 1700 crore will be invested in the locality if the Chemical Hub project takes off. Many anicilliary units will also come here and large-scale export of chemicals will take place. Even then if people do not accept the project, the location will be shifted.'' The Chief Minister also stated that the Tata Motor's small car project would definitely come up at Singur, adding that ''nobody would be able to stop the proposed project''. He, however, made it clear that prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC would continue to remain in force at Singur for some more time and said ''I have cancelled my own programme there because of that.'' Dwelling more on the Singur project, Mr Bhattacharjee said, ''Thousands of local people will find employment there. Already 1500 men have started working as labourers in the project and we will arrange rehabilitation of all those farmers who have lost their lands.'' Claiming that the villages in Bengal had prospered during the three decades of Left Front rule, the Chief Minister said their conditions had improved due to growth of agriculture.

But, he said, ''Agriculture is no longer viable to the extent as it was earlier as the cost of inputs like fertilizers, seeds and pesticides had increased manifold.'' Referring to the growth of Haldia, also in East Midnapore district, the Chief Minister said that about 100 small and big industries had already set up their units there with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore, generating direct employment for 50,000 and about a lakh more in ancilliary industries.

Lambasting the role of the Oppositon, the Chief Minister said the state government was accountable to the people, but the Opposition was making ''childish gestures'' by beating up the police.

The government would continue its programme of industrialisation in the state despite the opposition, he reiterated.

Local MP Laxman Seth, speaking on the occasion, alleged that 800 CPI-M families and 80 Zonal Committee members of the party had fled and four activists were killed due to Trinamool atrocities in Nandigram.

UNI