Pro-farm Mollah takes on CM

He said: “It is a wrong concept that agriculture can no more yield profits. Once agriculture sector is developed,we can go for industrialisation. The government should take steps for growth of the farm sector.” Mohammed Salim,the CPM Central Committee member,said the minister has expressed his personal view and that it was not the official view of the party.

Another CC member,Benoy Konar,said,“We are informed about the growing pressure on agriculture and hence we are insisting on the industrial growth. I can say that industry is the future,not the agriculture. We will ask Mollah what actually he said.”

Since his re-election as the chief minister,Bhattacharjee has been insisting on the industrial growth in the state citing severe unemployment and growing frustration among farmers.

CPM sources said the party has a plan to approach the voters in the Assembly elections with the industrialisation agenda. Top party leaders including the CM and state Secretary Biman Bose are trying to convince the rural leaders of the effectiveness of the party’s industrialisation agenda against Mamata Banerjee’s “Ma Mati Manus” slogan.

“A section of rural leaders feel the party’s recent poll debacles were because of the CM’s industrialisation drive. Mollah is one of them,” said a senior leader.

“But top party leaders are convinced that the state’s man-land ratio is the principal obstacle in achieving further agriculture growth,” he added.

‘May not contest next polls’

Abdur Rezzak Mollah,who represents Canning (East),has said that he may not contest the next Assembly election. “The party leaders don’t like me. They may not nominate me and I am afraid I would not contest the next time,” said Mollah on Friday.