Nayachar benefits all cock-and-bull: RSP

Anindita Chowdhury
The Statesman

KOLKATA, Oct. 26: Left Front partner RSP has found holes in the state government's arguments in favour of setting up a chemical hub for rapid industrialisation in the state. It has dismissed the latter's claim that the hub would generate large-scale employment as a “cock and bull story”.

Though, officially, all Left Front partners had given their nod for setting up a Petroleum Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region at Nayachar, it is evident from what appears in a recent RSP publication that the party had been forced into a position it did not want to be in.

The CPI-M's junior partner has argued in its publication that in Haldia, only 4,000 people have found employment in various projects, including downstream industries. Hence, the state government's contention that the hub would provide “direct employment opportunities to 1 lakh people and another 10 lakh people will find employment in downstream industries is just a cock-and-bull story (ashade golpo).

Apprehensions have been expressed over developing infrastructure for the hub at government cost which, the Left Front ally believes, would draw real estate developers who are likely to "influence government policy” and indulge in land speculation. Apart from attacking the Central government, the RSP has rubbished claims that the project, once completed, would benefit local residents and improve their standard of living. According to the publication, the chemical industry is reliant on technology and isn't labour intensive. Hence, only people from the upper strata of society would find employment and improvement in the quality of life of the locals would remain a “daydream". But the project has been opposed on grounds of environmental hazards, keeping in mind violation of green laws in the country.
The RSP accused the CPI-M-led state government of following former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's policy which disregarded environmental impact for the sake of poverty eradication.

Despite the show of unity at the all-party meeting for the sake of coalition politics, the RSP has been critical of the CPI-M at various public meetings. Even during Cabinet discussions, RSP ministers reminded the chief minister of appointing an expert committee for the project as soon as possible.

Centre deals a blow

KOLKATA, Oct. 26: The Union ministry of environment and forestry (MoEF) may just have hammered the last nail into the coffin of the chief minister’s hopes of setting up a chemical hub in West Bengal. The MoEF has said that setting up of industries or expansion of existing industries is a prohibited activity in places such as Nayachar Island, that happen to be Coastal Regulation Zone areas. The ministry has also said that it had not, as of 5 October, received any proposal from West Bengal for setting up of any petrochemical or any other chemical industry in Nayachar Island. According to the ministry, Nayachar Island is classified as Coastal Regulation Zone I and Coastal Regulation Zone II.