The Hindu : Front Page : Tamil Nadu, West Bengal to work together in key areas

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 14, 2006

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Front Page

Tamil Nadu, West Bengal to work together in key areas

Special Correspondent

Centre's directive on clearance for projects discussed

WARM GREETINGS: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (right), with Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi at his residence in Chennai on Sunday. — Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and his West Bengal counterpart Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday agreed to work together in many key areas where the two States faced similar problems.

Shortly after meeting Mr. Karunanidhi at his residence, Mr Bhattacharjee told reporters that he suggested that Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran be authorised by the Tamil Nadu Government take up such joint efforts.

One of the issues that figured during the discussions was the difficulty posed by the Centre's directive that the States obtain clearance of the Central Environmental Ministry (CEM) for projects with an estimate above Rs.50 crore.

Only projects of national importance should be required to be cleared by the CEM, leaving the relatively smaller projects to the State Governments and State Pollution Control Boards, he said.

Replying to a question, he said a Tamil Nadu team was in West Bengal to study how the wasteland development project was implemented there. The team visited West Midnapore on Saturday.

To another query, he said the CPI(M) would not join the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government in the State.

Contract farming

West Bengal had decided against encouraging contract farming in the State, which had a large number of small landholdings.

Companies that wanted to invest in medicinal plants were asked to deal with panchayats, farmers' cooperatives and self-help groups instead of forcing the farmers to join contract farming, he said.

Land reform measures

Referring to the radical land reform measures carried out in his State, Mr.Bhattacharjee said they had won the appreciation of many, including the Planning Commission.

The real solution to poverty eradication in rural areas lay in land reform and literacy.

Without achieving them, the job guarantee scheme, the rural health scheme and the Bharat Nirman Programme would only have a cosmetic effect, he added.

Price rise issue

On the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s charge relating to spiralling prices of essential commodities under the UPA rule, he said the "original sin" was committed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government, which had done away with the Essential Commodities Act.

Asked about former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's demand for the restoration of Prevention of Terrorism Act, he said, "We are against all draconian laws, including POTA."

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