Industry to lead revival with agriculture: Bhattacharjee

Barasat, Apr 28 (UNI) Stating that investments to the tune of Rs 78 crore was in the offing, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today reaffirmed his stand for development in the state, with industry and agriculture going hand-in-hand.

The state was approached by more companies from abroad with offers of investment to the tune of Rs 78 crore during last few months, he informed.

Addressing a CPI(M) rally organised by the party's North 24 Parganas District Committee here at the Cachhari ground near the district headquarters the Chief Minister said, ''A Nandigram or a Singur issue cannot stop the Left front government's development programme for the sake of lakhs of unemployed youths. We are committed to provide them jobs.'' During his 37-minute address, Mr Bhattacharya vehemently criticised the opposition pact of Trinamool Congress, BJP, Naxals and other parties. He alleged that the Opposition had been trying to prevent industrialisation through such movements in Nandigram or Singur.

He also alleged that several committees had been formed in different places to agitate people wherever the state had been trying to acquire lands for development purpose.

''We are trying to get systematic investment in face of a chaotic and hostile opposition,'' Mr Bhattacharya pointed out. He claimed that till last year, industrialists had invested nearly Rs 32,000 crore.

The Marxist leader said, ''It is not a fight between the CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress, but our fight for the sake of lakhs of young unemployed youths.'' He said that a section of the opposition had also protested against installing a large steel plant at Salbani, citing a land with forest cover. He claimed that he had sorted out the problem by leaving the piece of land covered with the forest alone and giving a green signal to investors to proceed with the rest of the land.

He added that Rs 35,000 crore would be invested for the steel plant, while two more steel plants were in the queue.

He also said that he had negotiated with a group of Chinese investors today, who desired to establish a large industry in Hooghly district.

''We cannot refuse them,'' the chief minister said, adding, ''We have already accommodated Japanese and Indonesian industrialists.'' He also said it was ridiculous that an organisation had alleged that the state had been snatching away farmlands from the minority communities, putting them in distress. However, he claimed that his government had raised its voice for the outright improvement of the minority communities well before the Sachar committee report.

Transport Minister Subhas Chakrabarty, Minority Community Minister Abdus Sattar and Self Help Group Minister Rekha Goswami were also present on the occasion.

UNI