Bhattacharjee (right) in Canning. (Bishwarup Dutta)

Canning, March 5: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today hopped from one venue to another, laying foundation stones and distributing tilling rights and loans over seven hours with an eye on the rural polls, only two months away.

Foundation stones were laid for the construction of the district headquarters in Baruipur, 30km from Calcutta, a bypass in the area and a training centre for government officers and self-help groups. Pattas were distributed among 2,393 landless farmers.

These programmes were followed by loan distribution on behalf of the West Bengal Minorities Development and Finance Corporation among 420 unemployed youths from across South-24 Parganas.

“Baruipur has to be developed as an educational hub. A number of reputable institutions will come up here to teach subjects such as oceanography and nano-technology. We will also build an industrial hub and a district hospital,” the chief minister said.

“M.R. Bangur (the district hospital in Tollygunge) is in bad shape. I’ve been there. Baruipur will have a big hospital where doctors and nurses will stay in adjoining quarters.”

The 17km bypass will connect the district headquarters with EM Bypass.

The Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority will build it at a cost of Rs 53 crore.

Among those who got pattas today were 1,067 Muslims. The chief minister had distributed over 1,450 pattas in Nandigram, where a sizeable population belongs to the minority community, yesterday.

“Some people complain that the government doesn’t take care of Muslims. But it should be noted that we make no distinction between Hindus and Muslims,” he said.

After giving the loans, he criticised the Sachar Committee report for saying the Bengal government was not awa-re of the real condition of mi- norities. “The report has not mentioned the number of Muslim doctors, nurses and police officers, but has only said Muslims at Writers’ Buildings are below the expected number,” he said.