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SEZs put SEZs on hold in West Bengal |
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Faced with rising discontent and spreading violence on the issue of acquisition of land for industries, and particularly in Nandigram, West Bengal has put all special economic zones including the one in Nandigram, on hold. This was announced by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat in Kolkata on Feb. 9 after meeting state leaders of the party. Karat said a group of Ministers at the Centre is already discussing the modalities of the laws to govern SEZs. “When the finalise it, we will talk to the Centre. Till then, all SEZs have been kept in abeyance. We will discuss the issue at our next politburo meeting on Feb. 17 and 18.”
Karat also discussed the issue at a meeting of the State Secretariat of the party. The meeting also discussed differences between the CPI(M) on the one hand and the CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc on the other on the Government’s proposed relaxation of land ceiling laws.
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who according to observers, emerged from the Secretariat meeting, visibly disturbed, said that in future, he will hold discussions with the Opposition before embarking on any land acquisition drive in the state.
The Chief Minister admitted for the first time that all farmers in Singur did not willing handover land for the Tata Motors small car project there.
A veteran CPI(M) leader Jyoti Basu admitted, “There are differences among the Left Front constituents. After talks with them it will decided whether the Land Acquisition Bill will be amended or totally scrapped.”
Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has again turned down Chief Minister Bhattacharjee’s offer inviting her party for talks to resolve the land acquisition issue. She said, “everything is over and now he wants us to sit down for talks. He has already grabbed land and handed it over to the Tatas. Even after promising the President and the prime Minister that he will not go ahead with the land acquisition till he talked it out with us, he did not keep us word.”
Bhattacharjee’s letter, the 5th since he requested Mamata Banerjee to call off her hunger strike on Dec. 28, said that for the sake of development in the state, it was necessary to clear misunderstandings.
Meanwhile, Tata group chairman Rattan Tata, has said that he is ready for a dialogue with any reasonable political party on the issue of the Tata small car plant in Singur.
Violence erupted in Nandigram for the second time on Feb. 7 since the first outburst on Jan. 3. A policeman was murdered in the area reportedly by protesters.
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