Bengal Govt willing to hold talks on Singur with Opposition: Gov

Kolkata, Mar 8 (UNI) West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi today said the Left Front government was willing to hold talks with the Opposition on the Singur issue.

''I iterate the government's willingness to discuss aspects pertaining to this project, which have caused concern to sections of the Opposition and the others...,'' he said in his address on the opening day of the budget session of the state Assembly.

Observing that the Commerce and Industry Depatment of the government was trying for ''rapid'' promotion of industrialisation and infrastructural development, Mr Gandhi said a number of new investment proposals from major companies, including the Tata Motors, were under different stages of implementation.

A number of other projects, including those of the Jindals, Telcon, Bhushan Steel, MCC, Global automobile Private Limited, Mahabharat Motor and Ural India, besides another 175 industrial projects were in the pipeline, he said.

While observing that the state had witnessed a substantial improvement in the law and order situation, education, agriculture, power, health and family welfare, the Governor, however, expressed his concern over the situation in jute and tea industries.

He also said Left wing extremist activities continued to be a source of concern as the CPI (Maoist) and their associates resorted to violent acts before the 2006 Assembly elections.

'' There have been 15 incidents of violence caused by the Maoists during the past year but the state security forces have been reinforced and, in several encounters, the state police have been able to arrest 60 Maoists and Maoist sympathisers...the situation is currently under close watch,'' he said.

However, wearing black robes as a mark of protest against the alleged overall failure of the state government, Trinamool Congress members kept standing throughout the Governor's speech. They held aloft placards denouncing several acts of the government, including acquisition of agricultural land and ''assault'' of party chief Mamata Banerjee by police.

Later speaking to reporters in his chamber, Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee described the Governor's address as ''disappointing'' as it did not reflect the true picture of the state.

''The speech, prepared by the state government, does not mention any positive decision on land acquisition in Nandigram and Singur, price rise, education, health, the plight of tea garden workers and minority development,'' he said.

UNI