Malda, Dec. 29: Barely 48 hours after a top Citu leader called for “crippling strikes” in key sectors to protest the Centre’s “anti-labour” industrial policy, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee asked the trade unions not to “misuse the power of strike.”

Addressing the state conference of the Citu-affiliated West Bengal State Electricity Board Workers Union, held in the district headquarters, Bhattacharjee said the Left Front government had “empowered” the trade unions in the state. “The trade unions in no other states enjoy so many rights. But the unions should see that power is not misused.”

Bhattacharjee said he had already told the unions to make sure “no disturbance” was created in industrial units.

But at the same time, the chief minister was all praise for the Citu. He said the trade union had hardly caused industrial disturbance.

“Except one or two stray incidents in jute industry, we have not had any problems with workers. The jute industry problems were also taken care of,” he said. He said no labour disputes had surfaced in Haldia and Salt Lake industrial zones, where thousands of workers were engaged.

Citu general secretary Chittabrata Majumdar, inaugurating the conference on Friday, had asked the workers to “prepare themselves to shut down” the vital services to “create a crisis” at the Centre.

The chief minister said an organised campaign was being carried out about the “industrial unrest” to deter investment in the state. “But the ground reality is different.”

He said people had kept the Left Front in power for the sixth consecutive term “not for nothing.”

He said he often “reminded” his ministerial colleagues of their “responsibility” and asked them to “live up to people’s expectations.”

Bhattacharjee said the state had major strides in agriculture and was now focussing on agro-based industries. He said the government had ensured the farmers did not “lose their money” because of a glut.

“In Malda, the prices of mangoes used to fall below the prices of potatoes. But this won’t happen any longer. We have set up export zones for mango here. Similar zones have been set up for pineapples, lichi and potatoes in Siliguri, Murshidabad and Hooghly. This will not only generate revenue, but also create jobs in rural Bengal,” the chief minister said.