Party reins in Buddhas industrial overdrive

  • 02/04/2008

  • Times Of India (New Delhi)

In a political message to West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that the party is supreme and his industrialization drive needs to be reworked, he was made to announce an industrial policy that for a change emphasizes on land acquisition with caution, proper compensation and rehabilitation. With West Bengal way below many states in many social indices, one saw Buddhadeb, for a change, talk about primary education, strengthening SSA, the mid-day meal scheme and health for the poor. He talked of increasing state spending in the social sector. "We don't believe in corporates doing it,' he said, praising Kerala's achievement in education. He gave credit to missionaries for high literacy rate in Kerala. Buddhadeb, a source of criticism for the party for following two different lines in Delhi and Left-ruled states, had to say that CPM had only one line. His observation that no individual is bigger than the party came later. Buddhadeb even had to say that approval of 400 SEZs by the Centre is "madness'. However, on the retail sector, confusion in CPM came to fore when CM said the party would only support big Indian retail chains and not foreign retail chains.