Calcutta, May 21: The chemical hub, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s most ambitious indus-trial project, will come up on 25,000 acres, more than double the area planned initially.

The hub will be the part of a 62,500-acre — 250 sq km — Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Region.

The contours of the enlarged project, along with a global overview of chemical hubs, have been explained in a note from the chief minister to all political parties.

The letter is aimed at evolving a “consensus” in the wake of the row over the government’s drive to acquire land for industry that has triggered bloodshed in Nandigram.

The Opposition as well as the CPM’s three major allies — the RSP, Forward Bloc and the CPI — have reservations about the project, not only on the ground of land acquisition and displacement of the poor, but also because of its feared impact on the environment.

Bhattacharjee has referred to the “Nandigram situation” in his forwarding letter to the note. It says the government had to withdraw the original plan to set up the hub in some mouzas of Nandigram I block.

He has urged the parties to suggest an alternative site for the project so that the state can “expedite” the site selection and submit an application to the Centre before other states.

The letter, however, makes it clear Haldia, the port town with a concentration of chemical and petrochemical units, alone can be the ideal location.

“There is no other suitable location because the state has a very small coastline, a major portion of which falls within the protected, ecologically fragile Sunderbans.’’

Haldia’s strategic importance has further gone up because of its proximity to the proposed deep sea port, which will allow huge containers and tanker ships to bring naphtha and crude oil to Bengal.

The Centre shortlisted Haldia, Gujarat’s Dahej and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh for the “mega” project in 2005. However, its dimensions increased manifold — in terms of area as well as investment — next year with the concept of the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR).

On the vexed issue of land acquisition, Bhattacharjee’s note says the government wants to “finalise the location of the PCPIR and the specific areas where land can be obtained for this process through… discussion with political parties and other stakeholders”.

It also promises “adequate compensation for the land” and “appropriate rehabilitation” for those affected.

On its “social and technological impact”, the note says “at least 500 companies, small and big”, could be operating there, generating direct employment for over one lakh people. If downstream projects and support services are added, the jobs could be 10 times that figure.

Indian Oil Corporation, “the anchor investor”, could alone put in about Rs 20,000 crore once the deep sea port becomes a reality, the note says.

In addition, the Centre will pump in Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 crore for infrastructure, “benefiting the people of the non-industrial part of the region”.

The note says the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation will develop the hub jointly with New Calcutta International Development, a company promoted by the Salim Group.