The Hindu : National : Directive to Buddhadeb Government

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Saturday, Jan 06, 2007
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Directive to Buddhadeb Government

Staff Reporter

Buddhadeb

Kolkata: A two-member Division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the West Bengal Government to file an affidavit within a fortnight regarding its policy on land acquisition and its master plan for industrialisation. This came in response to a writ petition, challenging the acquisition of farmland for setting up industries at Singur, Nandigram and other places in the State.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, meanwhile, held a high-level meeting to review the situation at Singur and Nandigram in the wake of violent incidents following protests over possible land acquisition for setting up industry. The State Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and senior police officers were present at the meeting.

Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy later said that the Government was keeping a close watch on the situation in Nandigram, where the rumour of land acquisition had led to violent clashes between police and protesters opposed to acquisition of land on Wednesday.

Nandigram is the proposed site for a chemical and multi-product Special Economic Zone to be set up by the Indonesia based Salim Group.

"There was no notice for land acquisition issued by the Government in Nandigram," Mr Roy told reporters. He also said that the Government had taken a serious view of reports of outsiders having instigated Wednesday's incidents at Nandigram.

Mr. Roy said that there would be massive arrests but the Government would like the situation to normalise there before such actions were taken.

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