I''m only against forcible acquisition of land: Mamata

Haldia (WB), Feb 4 (PTI) Countering the CPI-M''s chargethat she was anti-industry, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjeetoday asserted she was only against forcible acquisition ofland and never opposed setting up of any factory.

In an obvious reference to the pullout of the Tatasfrom Singur, she said, "The CPI-M has dubbed me as anti-industry. But I always said that let the factory be set up on600 acres and return 400 acres. They don''t know how to work."

Banerjee, who was here to lay the foundation for a DMUcoach factory, asked, "How much land is required for a carfactory? We have 42.5 acres of land here on which the DMUcoach unit will be set up. The painting of the coach will bedone in Kharagpur. What is the harm in it?"

Banerjee, who also laid the foundation for a wagoncomponent unit at Jellingham near Nandigram, said that itwould be set up jointly by the Railways, SAIL and BurnStandard.

In an oblique reference to Chief Minister BuddhadebBhattacharjee''s comment expressing surprise over source offunds for setting up of so many factories announced by her,she said, "They are jealous. Earlier also they had predictedthat the Digha-Tamluk rail will not come up when I was therailway minister in my earlier term and tried to disrupt it.

CPI-M is doing nasty politics.

"They don''t do it themselves and opposed if someoneelse wanted to do it. There is no use showing jealousy. Oneshould know how to work," she said.

"The CPI-M sought explanation for my work in the lastone and a half years without explaining what they have done inthe 35 years they are in power," she said and promised "I willfulfill 99 per cent of the commitment made in the railwaybudget."

Accusing the CPI-M of opposing the DMU unit atSankrail in Howrah district, she said it had been shifted toHaldia which has port connectivity. "But I am still open tosetting up of a unit at Sankrail. However, much they try, theywill not be able to stop us from setting up factories."

She said her ministry was setting up so many unitsacross the state and country where people would getemployment. Railway will provide employment and rehabilitatethose who gave up land for laying railway tracks, she said.

"No project can be implemented If there is no vision.

A deep-sea port will be set up at Sagar Island by the shippingministry for which no land is required."

Claiming that the LF government was doing whateverthey want and allowed people to keep much more land than theceiling permitted, she said the entire thing would be reviewedafter a new government was installed in the state after theAssembly poll.