NEW DELHI: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which noted "some mistakes" in the handling of the Nandigram issue, asked the West Bengal State Committee to examine the entire circumstances that led to the police action on March 14.

General secretary Prakash Karat briefed the media on the three-day Central Committee meeting that ended on Monday.

The committee said that as the right-wing parties, the naxalites and certain non-governmental organisations indulged in "false propaganda" against the CPI (M) on the issue, the party was forced to launch a campaign to counter it.

It was unhappy over the loss of lives due to police firing and it noted statements by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that mistakes were made, Mr. Karat said.

He said the manner in which the party workers were driven out from the village and how it lost the support of the people, were areas, which would be gone into by the State Committee.

The State Government had wanted a judicial inquiry into the events in Nandigram. However, the Kolkata High Court intervened and ordered a CBI inquiry. Since the matter was still pending before the High Court, the party said after the inquiry, if any police excesses were established, action should be taken.

Mr. Karat said the State Government has also ordered a probe by a Divisional Commissioner and after its report, the issue of compensation would also be decided.

The committee was of the opinion that the implementation of land reforms and the development of agriculture, laid the foundations for industrialisation. The land use policy adopted by the West Bengal Government should be the basis for conversion of land for non-agricultural purposes.

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