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Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announces agro-industrial-park in Singur
Banerjee had led an agitation at Singur against alleged forcible land acquisition for a car factory project, which ultimately contributed to ending the Left parties’ sway over Bengal in the 2011 assembly polls. The TMC faced its first setback in Singur when the Bharatiya Janata Party got a lead in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
With an eye on the crucial 2021 West Bengal assembly polls, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the state government is coming up with an agro-industrial park at Singur in Hooghly district.
“The West Bengal Small Industries Development Corporation will develop the park on 11 acres of land. The work of putting up a boundary wall has already been started,” she said while speaking to media persons at the state secretariat on Thursday.
Industrialists and entrepreneurs would be given plots varying from 10 to 30 cottahs in size depending on their business proposal.
Banerjee had led an agitation at Singur against alleged forcible land acquisition for a car factory project, which ultimately contributed to ending the Left parties’ sway over Bengal in the 2011 assembly elections. The TMC faced its first setback in Singur when the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got a lead in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Banerjee, on Thursday, also announced that the state government is ready with the Expression-of-Interest for the state’s first deep-sea port.
“We are ready with the Expression of Interest for the deep-sea port which is being developed by the state government at Tajpur in East Midnapore district. The EoI would be floated on December 28. We would request all big names in the port building industry in the world to participate. No land would be acquisitioned in this Rs 4200 crore project,” she said.
She said that the port is expected to attract an investment of Rs 15,000 crore and generate at least 25,000 jobs and if need arises the state would think of coming up with an export centre in the district.
“This would be a huge boost for trade in the two districts of East Midnapore and West Midnapore. At present, West Bengal accounts for 13% of the export of iron and steel. This would get a major boost. The iron and steel export from around five districts including East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Jhargram, Puruli, Bankura and Burdwan would get a boost. The sea food export from Midnpaore to Japan and south-east Asia would also increase,” she added.
East Midnapore is considered to be the home-turf of former TMC heavyweight and former state transport minister Suvendu Adhikari, who recently defected to the BJP. Banerjee is expected to hold a rally in the district in the first week of January.
The state is also planning to come up with another industrial park at Hashimara in north Bengal, the details of which are being chalked out, she added. The state has also received an investment proposal of Rs 400 crore at the Panagarh industrial park and land is being provided.
