No forcible land acquisition by Rlys for any project: Mamata

Diamond Harbour, Feb 10 (PTI) Railway minister MamataBanerjee today asserted that there would be no forcible landacquisition for any railway project in the country.

"There will be no forcible land acquisition and foracquisition we will offer job for the people who lose theirland," Banerjee said at a function here after the 2,000 acreland reclamation process for the Rs 3,000-crore port at Sagarisland was kicked off.

Banerjee''s statement followed criticism by the CPI(M)and left parties that the railway minister, who claimedherself a champion of ''land losers'', had been "grabbing" landfor setting up projects in the state.

Banerjee said that there would be no forcible landacquisition "even if the project does not come off".

The union minister said that the railways need "onlylittle land" and for that "we will offer job for landlosers".

The Trinamool Congress chief flayed the state governmentfor "misleading and bluffing the public" by putting up "bigadvertisements" and hoardings.

"They blame us for the railway advertisements, butthe CPI(M)-left front government has been making tall andfalse claims about the progress of the state ahead of theAssembly elections," she alleged.

"The kind of progress it claims is ridiculous," sheadded.

Banerjee promised rail connectivity to the proposed portand said that the project would ensure overall development ofthe Sunderbans region.

The port would be built in public private partnershipmodel but land reclamation will be done by the Kolkata port.

The land reclamation process will take some 7-8 monthswith a total investment of Rs 100 crore and the Kolkata PortTrust proposes 10-11 jetties for cargo handling in theport.