Goaltore, Sept. 15: Mamata Banerjee has projected a 950.17-acre plot in West Midnapore's Goaltore as a possible destination for the Tatas or BMW. Residents, however, said they were not sure whether any investor would show interest in the land.
A day after the chief minister offered the Goaltore land to the Tatas from the Singur Divas dais, the only activity seen in the proposed industrial zone in West Midnapore was the cutting of bushes on one corner of the plot.
"The bushes are being cut to erect a pandal for Biswakarma Puja, which will be celebrated by employees of the agriculture department, which has an office on the land," said Sukhomoy Paul, 32, a resident of Nischintapur village, which is near the plot.
Paul, a graduate and unemployed, has been hoping for the past few years that the plot would attract some industry that would create employment opportunities for him.
Asked whether he was hopeful that the Tatas or BMW would come to Goaltore, he did not sound positive.
"We have been hearing since August 2014 (when the chief minister visited Singapore to scout for investments) that factories will be set up here. But nothing has happened. We are losing hope," Paul said.
Nabanna sources said Paul's misgivings were not baseless as the state government had not done much in the past two years to project Goaltore as a possible destination for investors.
A senior official recalled that soon after the chief minister's visit to Singapore, where she had showcased the plot, then chief secretary Sanjay Mitra had convened a meeting to develop the land.
"It was decided that a proper fencing would be erected. The 29km narrow road that connects the plot with NH60 will be widened, it was planned. These two projects were to be taken up by the public works department. The power department was supposed to set up a sub-station with the capacity of supplying 132KV of electricity to possible industrial units," the official said.
However, nothing has been done so far. According to the sources in Nabanna, the PWD had sent a file to the industries department, seeking funds to fence the plot and widen the road.
"But the file is gathering dust since the last quarter of 2014. The PWD recently decided to widen the road on its own after waiting in futility for a response from the industries department. But it takes time to widen a road as several issues, including acquisition of land, need to be addressed," another official said.
Sources in the district administration said no progress had been made on the sub-station.
"It is not an easy task. For a 132KV sub-station, a connection from a high-voltage power transmission source has to be drawn to the plot. In the case of Goaltore, the nearest source is on Chandrakona Road, 29km from the plot," a source said.
For the past 50 years, seed farming is being done on the Goaltore plot. Last year, the agriculture department transferred the possession of the land to the West Bengal Industries Development Corporation (WBIDC).
"The agriculture department is yet to find a suitable place to relocate the seed farm, spread over 15 acres. As soon as the department finds an alternative place, the farm will be shifted," a district official said.
The problems do not end here. Several families have encroached on the land and are cultivating parts of it for years.
"The land department was asked to hold discussions with the families and ensure they are shifted elsewhere. But the negotiations are yet to start," a Nabanna official said.
