Behrampore, Dec. 6: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today iterated there was no alternative to industry and that agriculture could not provide a cure to unemployment at a time detractors have blamed his government’s drive to build factories on farmland for the CPM’s shrinking rural support.

The chief minister clubbed his pitch for industry with an appeal to the Opposition to co-operate on development projects. “I appeal to the Opposition parties to co-operate with the state government in its industry initiatives. Some parties are opposing the setting up of factories. We need more electricity, but they are opposing our plans to build the Katwa power plant. The Opposition is saying roads can’t be built when we are trying to widen National Highway 34…. Please don’t take the wrong path, it will hamper development and ruin job opportunities,” Bhattacharjee said in Murshidabad after opening a bridge about 235km from Calcutta.

“Agriculture cannot be the solution to unemployment. You cannot increase the quantum of farmland in our state. Industry has to be the answer to the ills of unemployment,” he added.

The Congress, whose state chief Pranab Mukherjee had laid the foundation stone for the bridge in 2005, boycotted the programme today, citing a stalemate in the zilla parishad. A CPM member recently crossed over to the Congress, giving it a lead in the parishad. However, the CPM, in control of the body now, is allegedly dillydallying on calling a meeting where the Congress can stake claim to the chief’s post.

The chief minister did not skirt the issue but suggested that it should not have been linked to a project for the good of local people. “We will abide by what the law says…. (But) I urge all zilla parishad members of the Congress to join hands and work for the betterment of the district,” he said.

The district Congress apparently dropped a plan to wave black flags at the chief minister today at Mukherjee’s insistence. “Pranabda told Adhirda (district party chief Adhir Chowdhury) the party would earn a bad name if that was done,” a leader said.

From the reference to opposition to the Katwa project to resistance to land acquisition for NH34, Congress ally Trinamul Congress was more the target of the chief minister.

Mukherjee, too, had earlier criticised the opposition to the broadening of the road.