Nandigram set to flare up again over chemical hub
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08/04/2009
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Business Standard (New Delhi)
Pradeep Gooptu / New Delhi April 09, 2009, 0:22 IST
After nearly two years of relative calm, fresh tension appears to be brewing over the West Bengal government's plans to set up a Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) spanning Nayachar Island and the adjoining mainland comprising Haldia and Nandigram.
This is because Nayachar is only 50 square kilometres (sq km) in size and the PCPIR will cover 250 sq km, including the 61 sq km now under existing chemical and related units in Haldia.
As a result, locals there, more so in the area broadly called Nandigram lying across the minor Haldi River from Haldia, fear a fresh round of land acquisition, as the state government pushes ahead with its PCPIR plans with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Calc Refinery Ltd as its anchor tenants. The PCPIR is one of the Left Front government