The Hindu Business Line : Salim Group chief to visit West Bengal today amid protest threat

DESPITE apprehension of major protests by the Trinamool Congress, Mr Benny Santoso, Chief Executive Officer of the Indonesia-based $30-billion Salim Group of Industries, is scheduled to visit the city on Thursday to firm up his group's investment in the real estate sector of West Bengal.

After several rounds of discussions, which started almost two years ago, the Salim Group has finally decided to set up a township in western Howrah. Along with it, the group has planned a logistics hub, a health city, a special economic zone, a biotech park and a golf course.

It has also entered into an agreement with an Mr Prasoon Mukherjee's Universal Success, to set up a two-wheeler manufacturing unit at the Uluberia Industrial Growth Centre, again at Howrah. The group has already acquired a little over 65 acres for this factory at a price of $1.5 million (around Rs 6.5 crore).

Mr Santoso and his team are scheduled to go on a recce mission to Salop in Howrah and Bhangar in South 24 Parganas. They are also scheduled to the meet the Chief Minister at Writers Buildings.

This apart, Thursday's projected visit of Mr Santoso has assumed political significance because the proposal to build a township has been opposed not just by Trinamool Congress but also by a section of the ruling Left Front coalition.

The opposition stems from the fact that the State Government will have to acquire a vast amount of agricultural land for the proposed township project. On several occasions, the Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and his senior colleagues have tried to clarify that the project will not harm farmers' interests.

"Only farmland that have single cropping will be given for industrialisation purposes, albeit after payment of compensation to farmers and share croppers and after offering them rehabilitation packages," Mr Bhattacharjee has said.

Senior Kolkata police officers have assured everybody that police will do everything to ensure normal movement of the Salim team during its stay in the city.

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