Silencing critics, Buddha signs state146;s biggest public-pvt infrastructure project

Post-agreement tremors were not ruled out, considering that the schemes listed today indicate a requirement of over 40,000 acres and the Tatas8217; indent for a mere 1000 acres in Singur for a car plant had sparked local protests.

On Monday, it was Bhattacharjee8217;s emphatic exhortation for change that seemed to overrule everything else and set the optimistic tone to the ceremony.

Holding up the stark choice between growth and stagnation, Bhattacharjee said the state has to migrate from agriculture to industry.

8220;It is an important project for us that clubs together industry and infrastructure. We have been working on this for months. We will start very soon,8221; Bhattacharjee said.

8220;Tatas have come and more are coming. The Reliance Group is coming8212;both Anil and Mukesh. Besides, there are discussions with a large number of other companies as well on many projects,8221; said Bhattacharjee.

Nothing could stop the government from going ahead with this project, the Chief Minister said, pointing out that his administration had worked day and night to structure a deal that would 8220;eradicate all apprehensions8221; different quarters might have had.

The government will try to avoid acquiring fertile land as far as possible and also see that land losers were properly rehabilitated.

The consortium that signed the agreement today is led by the Salim Group of Indonesia and was represented during the day by Benny Santoso. The other two in the consortium are the Delhi-based real estate major Unitech, represented by Ramesh Chandra, and Malaysia-based Universal Success Enterprises, represented by its promoter Prasoon Mukherjee.

Consider what Bhattacharjee was up against and how he crossed the hurdles:

8226; Stiff opposition from CPIM Minister for Land and Land reforms Rezzak Mollah to conversion of agricultural land into industry: The CM managed to impress on the topmost leadership that agriculture has to graduate into an industry for the state to prosper. Got hardliners like Benoy Konar to back his stand and got the powerful Krishak Sabha to support the government action.

8226; Persistent demand of Left Front partners8212;RSP and CPI8212;that land for industry be identified and then offered to investors: Yet again, Bhattacharjee convinced critics that industry has its own preferences in identifying land, the government cannot dictate to it.

8226; Mamata Banerjee8217;s fiery slogan that industry will come up on her body if agricultural land was taken for industry: Using the Krishak Sabha8212;the CPIM8217;s farmers8217; wing8212;the CM neutralised such campaigns. He also restructured the compensation package into something more lucrative than an open market sale, and by incorporating clauses that ensure protection to the land losers.

The Salim-Bengal Project

8226; A chemical SEZ on 10,000 acres in East Midnapore district, bordering Haldia, as a joint venture

8226; A multi-product SEZ on 12,500 acres in Haldia

8226; An Eastern Link Highway to connect Barasat in North 24-Parganas in Kolkata8217;s north with Raichak to the extreme south of South 24-Parganas, on 2500 acres

8226; Townships in Kukrahati, Baruipur along the highway on 8750 acres. Health city and Knowledge city in Bhangar on 3000 acres.