WB Govt finds 1200-acre plot for NSG hub

Last month a 2-member NSG team that came to Kolkata was shown two places,one near panagarh in Burdwan district and another at Kalaikonda in West Midnapore district. Both the places were near the respective airports,a requirement specified by the NSG.

But the NSG was not very happy as both the places were quite far away–both were more than 60 kms away from Calcutta.

But the land at Barrackpore suits the NSG requirement most as it is not more than half-hour drive from Dum Dum airport.

And what gives the state government more satisfaction is the fact that,like the ones at Panagarh and Kalaikonda,this land also belongs to the defence ministry. This saves the government,singed with its experiences at Singur and Nandigram,the trouble of acquiring land.

The Trinamool Congress,the principal opposition party of the state,however said they were not opposed to an NSG hub. “Our stand is very clear. Fertile land can not be acquired. And land has to be purchased from farmers if you require land,” Saugata Roy,TRinamool Congresss leader,told Indian Express.

An NSG team is coming to Kolkata next week to make a recce of the Barrackpore site. “Our officers are in constant touch with them. Most probably they are coming here next week,” Ardhendu Sen,state home secretary,told Indian Express.

The NSG said they were ready to start work as soon as they got land. “We will start our construction work as soon as we get land from the state government,” Col H. S. Pathania,chief of operations of NSG,earlier told Indian Express.