NO FRESH WOES

Calcutta, April 12: The Bengal government will not acquire any additional land at Nayachar for the proposed chemical hub.

The part of the Nayachar land in possession with the state is sufficient to meet the Centre’s criterion for a petroleum, chemical and petrochemical investment region (PCPIR).

According to the policy guideline, a PCPIR must be spread over 250sqkm or 61,776 acres.

Of this, a minimum of 40 per cent, or 100 sqkm (24,710 acres), must be earmarked as “processing zone” for industry.

Though the proposed project has come to be identified with the Nayachar island, the bulk of the hub will be in mainland Haldia.

“Since the existing industrial zone at Haldia is being taken into consideration, we do not need to acquire any land for the chemical hub onshore,” a senior official at the state commerce and industry department said.

In Nayachar itself, the 12,340 acres for industry are already vested with the state. There are some fishermen on the island whom the state plans to rehabilitate by providing them alternative livelihoods.

The remaining 12,370 acres required to fulfil the PCPIR quota of 40 per cent are located in Haldia and in possession of the state.

Of this, there is already an industrial zone of over 10,000 acres.

The non-processing zone within a PCPIR comprises residential, commercial, social and other institutional infrastructure.

For this purpose, the state government has earmarked 150sq km or around 37,000 acres surrounding the Haldia industrial zone. However, the government will not transform the area.

“The state government has not engaged any developer for the non-processing zone. The area will get developed in the course of time by intervention of market forces. The government will not indulge in any land acquisition or project there,” the official said.