Ministers words not important
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04/06/2008
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Statesman (Kolkata)
The Trinamul Congress and the LF junior partners today lambasted the CPI-M for "trying to be wise after the event by letting the state urban development minister' announce the state government's decision today that land would be acquired for any industrialisation project only after setting up land procurement committees that include local representatives. Trinamul chief Miss Mamata Banerjee said the CPI-M-led LF government had lost its credibility and there's no need to attach any importance to the words its individual ministers say from time to time. "The state government hasn't yet withdrawn the notice for acquiring land for the now aborted mega chemical hub project at Nandigram, though the CM stated the project had been scrapped. Similarly, the state government may try to go ahead with its Dankuni township project as it has planned. If the state government is really serious about seeking the people's views before implementing the project, it should first scrap the project,' Miss Banerjee said. Mr Manoj Bhattacharya, RSP central committee member, said the CPI-M had learnt a costly lesson from the panchayat poll. "The CPI-M depended on the bureaucrats who don't have any access to the people and misled the state government about its industrialisation overdrive. We are now worried that essential public utility projects may not be taken up because of resistance from the people for whom land acquisition itself, no matter if it's for public welfare, has become suspect,' he said. n SNS