Buddha calls all-party meeting in Nandigram

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Kolkata, Feb 16: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today called an all-party meeting in Nandigram in a bid to restore peace in the embattled area and explain the government's stand on industrialisation.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting at the state Secretariat attended by, among others, Industry Minister Nirupam Sen, Home Secetary Prasad Ranjan Ray, Industry Secretary Sabyasachi Sen and top police officials.

''The government has decided to hold an all-party meeting in Nandigram. The date will be fixed by the east Midnapore district Magistrate,'' the Home Secretary told reporters after the meeting.

Even more than a month after the bloody violence over land acquisition Nandigram still remains virtually cut off from the rest of the state with all the roads to the area being dug up by the protestors to prevent entry of outsiders keeping even police at length. The trouble erupted in January claiming four lives after a section of the local people turned violent over the reported move of the government to acquire farmlands and habitats for the proposed SEZ for a chemical hub to be devloped by the Indonesian Salim group with IOC as the anchor investors.

Clarifying that no notification had been issued for land acquisition, the chief minister repeatedly assured that his government would not go for setting up industries against the wishes of the local people.

But unrelenting Bhoomi Uchhed Protirodh Committee (Committee for Resistance to land eviction), comprising members of the Trinamool Congress, SUCI, naxalites and some dissident CPI(M) activists continued to let anybody from the administration to set foot in the area.

With bitter hostility between rival political groups still smouldering, many villagers continued to be in hiding leaving their hearth fearing attack by opponent groups.

The Chief Minister's decision to call all party meeting came a day after he assured the opposition of no further imposition of prohibitory orders at Singur provided their movement was peaceful.

The Home Secretary, however, today said that the situation in Singur would determine whether 144 Cr P C was necessary in the area.

UNI

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