Nandigram not to be on industrial map: Bhattacharjee

Kolkata, Mar 11: Nandigram will be left out of the industrial roadmap if agitation continues against the proposed chemical hub, but theprocess of development will roll on elsewhere in West Bengal despitethe opposition's furore, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee todaysaid.

''The present situation in Nandigram can not be allowed to lastlong. We shall not set up the chemical hub there if the local people donot want it. But industrialisation is the future for thousands of youthin the state, and we are determined to go for it,'' he said whileaddressing a rally, organised by the Bharatiya Krisak Sabha, thepeasants' wing of the CPI(M).

While daring the Trinamool-led opposition to ''do whatever theycan'', the Chief Minister said his government was committed to thepeople for the state's overall development and would not budge from itsstand under any pressure.

Reiterating that doors were still open for the opposition to holdtalks with the government on its industrialisation plan, MrBhattacharjee said he was prepared to listen to ''anything logical'',but would not tolerate the kind of opposition being put up inNandigram.

Held at the Brigade Parade Ground two days after the governmentsigned a land lease agreement with Tata Motors for the small carfactory in Singur, the rally was organised to express solidarity ofFront government's industrialisation move with the farmers.

Krishak Sabha's state president Benoy Konar, Land Reforms MinisterAbdur Rezzak Mollah and Panchyat Minister Surjyakanta Mishra were amongothers who addressed the massive rally vowing to walk the path ofindustrialisation.

Setting his tone at winning over the unemployed youth and the poorfarmer, Mr.Bhattacharjee said factories were necessary to generateemployment and improve the people's living standard. "Where shall theeducated youth go? they want industry, electricity, trading and moreroads. We will also have to reduce the pressure on agriculture bytaking away the surplus workforce to industry. Otherwise their incomewill drop," he said.

He alleged that the Trinamool Congress, the party that put up astiff resistance in Singur and Nandigram, wanted the state to be indark-secluded from development.

"But we have to keep the honour of the people's mandate in theelection and take the state ahead...we have to make the peopleunderstand what we want. Let us see who has how much strength,"Mr.Bhattacharjee said.

Alleging that a handful of people were misleading the Nandigramvillagers on the proposed SEZ for a chemcial hub, the Chief Ministerexplained that the government had wanted the area to be developed atpar with the adjoining Haldia.

"A host of ancillary industries would have changed the face ofNandigram. But are we mad that we will go for forcible acquisition ofland ? we have not taken a single habitat or place of worship eitherand nothing will be done without talking to the local people and thepanchayat," he said.

While asserting that the government was trying to make a perfectbalance between industrialisation and agricultural production,Mr.Bhattacharjee said an exhaustive list of those who had given land inSingur as well as the share croppers had been prepared for compensation.

UNI

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