Calcutta, July 2: Industries minister Nirupam Sen today iterated in the Assembly that no land would be acquired for the chemical project in Haldia and off it.

Around 25,000 acres is required for a petroleum, chemicals and petrochemical investment region (PCPIR). “We al- ready have 15,000 acres, including the existing industrial area in Haldia, which will form part of the processing area. The remaining 10,000 acres is available on Nayachar island (off Haldia),” Sen said.

The Nayachar part of the region had been planned in Nandigram. It was shifted after last year’s land war.

Replying to a question by leader of Opposition Partha Chatterjee, the minister said no “chemical hub” would come up in Bengal. The state, he said, had sent a PCPIR proposal to the Centre for approval. “It was the Government of India’s decision to set up a PCPIR near every port,” he said.

Chatterjee accused the government of trying to confuse people by calling the chemical hub project by another name. “We do not want industry at the cost of the poor and the environment,” he added.

Sen promised steps against pollution but asserted: “We will not scrap the project.”