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Journalism of Courage
With Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee going against CPIM General Secretary Prakash Karat8217;s line to support Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the need for nuclear power, the Congress here made its first public statement backing the CM8217;s choice of Nayachar for a chemical hub.
The Congress had attended the all-party meeting on September 3 in which Bhattacharjee had proposed the riverine island as part of the chemical hub after a bloody opposition derailed operations in Nandigram8212;the original choice.
8220;Nayachar will be the ideal place for a chemical hub. The Congress will not oppose it if Nayachar can get the necessary clearance from the GSI and environment departments,8221; said Pradip Bhattacharjee, working president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee.
The Congress had so far remained silent on Nayachar. Mamata Banerjee8217;s Trinamool Congress, which had opposed the chemical hub and the choice of Nandigram on land acquisition issues, had boycotted the all-party meeting.
Meanwhile, the state Government has asked the Geological Survey of India to submit a report about the viability of Nayachar, a 38-sq km island off the industrial port town of Haldia. The commerce and industries department is waiting for the report.
