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Left Front drops land acquisition plan at Nandigram

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Police to be withdrawn in phases; 17 proposals for SEZ still in pipeline

BACKING DOWN: The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (right), and the State CPI (M) Secretary and Left Front Chairman, Mr Biman Bose, at a press conference in Kolkata on Saturday. — Sushanta Patronobish

Kolkata March 17 The Left Front in West Bengal on Saturday formally decided against any land acquisition for the proposed chemical hub, a mega SEZ, at Nandigram located in East Midnapore district.

The Front Chairman, Mr Biman Bose, briefing newspersons after a crucial meeting said the Front had decided to stop "land acquisition for any industrial purposes at Nandigram."

Proposed by the Salim Group of Indonesia, the SEZ was a part of the proposed 250 sq km petroleum chemicals and petrochemicals industrial region near Haldia.

The investment in the project has already received FIPB clearance. The group had proposed a total of two mega SEZs in the State.

The Left Front decision was a reiteration of the Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's earlier announcement after trouble erupted at Nandigram. After the first clash at Nandigram on January 6, Mr Bhattacharya had announced that the SEZ would be shifted elsewhere in case it is unwelcome to the local people.

Since the police firing on March 14 at Nandigram, the opposition surrounding land acquisition forced the CPI (M)-led Left Front clear its stand vis-a-vis Nandigram. A total of 17 proposals for SEZs, including six mega projects, are in the pipeline in the State.

"We hope that cloud of uncertainty will be cleared at the earliest," told an industry house which had recently intimated the State Government about their intention to set up a product specific SEZ near Nandigram.

The Left Front also decided that the State Government would be run strictly on the basis of policies decided at its meetings. Three major constituents of the Left Front — the All India Forward Bloc, the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the Communist Party of India — had earlier expressed their reservations on the State Government's decision to send in the police to Nandigram and had condemned the police action.

It was also decided at the meeting that the police deployed in the area — a move that had triggered off violence on Wednesday — would be withdrawn in phases. The differences were resolved in a crucial second round of talks between representatives of all the Left Front constituents on the day; the first having been held here on Thursday.

Veteran Marxist leader Mr Jyoti Basu and the Chief Minister were also present in the Left Front talks.

It was also decided that the State Government as well as its core committee would function in conformity with the Left Front's policies. The Front would henceforth be meeting more regularly and all major political decisions would be determined at these meetings.

Besides these meetings, bi-partite talks between the Left Front partners would also be held if required.

It was also resolved at the meeting that the Left Front would continue its sustained social and political campaign at Nandigram to help restore normality in the strife-torn areas.

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