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Tuesday, Sep 04, 2007
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Substantial progress on chemical hub

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: Substantial progress was made towards the setting up of a chemical hub in West Bengal on Monday when the Congress promised its support to the project. The State government has been making moves to arrive at a political consensus on the issue.

Though the location of the proposed hub is yet to be finalised, an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to discuss the future of the project concurred that the project should be set up without affecting, as much as possible, the interests of peasants and the local people, the State’s Industries and Commerce Minister, Nirupam Sen, later said.

“The Congress has welcomed the setting up of the project in the State,” he added.

Mr. Sen said that even though the Trinamool Congress had chosen to boycott the meeting the State Government still appealed to the party “to cooperate with it” in the setting up of the project as part of a petro chemical investment region.

“It has been decided at the meeting that most of the concerns raised by that party [Trinamool Congress] which led it to oppose the project are being addressed and that the question of eviction does not arise,” he pointed out.

The Socialist Unity Centre of India, another Opposition party, also did not attend the talks.

Three sites, recommended by a consultancy agency assigned by the State Government, were referred to at the meeting. In all about 10,000 acres of land would be required for the proposed hub.

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