Land buy rumour sparks mob fury near Haldia

With the land acquisition controversy in Singur yet to settle down, tension gripped Nandigram area in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, the proposed site for a project by Indonesia's Salim Group.

A mob of around 1,500-2,000 people ransacked the Kalicharanpur village panchayat under Nandigram police station sparking tension in the area.

The state's inspector general of police (law and order) Raj Kanojia said five policemen were injured, two of them critically, as the security personnel were outnumbered by the mob. A police van was also damaged by the mob.

Midnapore DIG N R Babu with senior police officials and reinforcements were rushed to the area fearing escalation of violence.

Although initially the attacks were thought to be because of notification for land acquisition for the Salim project but chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said there was no such notification in Nandigram. "There was no notification for land acquisition in the entire Midnapore district," Bhattacharjee said.

Nandigram, about 150 km from here near the Haldia port town, was selected for a proposed chemical hub to be set up by Salim in collaboration with the government. In East Midnapore the state government was reportedly set to take over 22,000 acres of land for industrial projects.

On July 31 the West Bengal government signed an agreement with the Salim Group of Indonesia to implement various developmental projects, including the setting up of a mega chemical industrial estate, including a chemical special economic zone (SEZ) at Nandigram, spread across 10,000 acres in a 50:50 joint venture.

Construction of a four-lane road bridge over the Haldi River, from Haldia to Nandigram, has also been planned. The proposed bridge would provide a link between Haldia and the proposed chemicals SEZ in Nandigram.

The agreement envisions the setting up of several urban development projects and projects for economic rehabilitation and social development in respect of those who would lose their land to the proposed projects.