Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate multi-crore infrastructure projects in oil and gas and road sectors in poll-bound Bengal at an event in Haldia on February 7.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been invited to the event for which Union petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday oversaw the preparations at the venue.
Modi is scheduled to dedicate a 347km Dobhi-Durgapur natural gas pipeline, built at a cost of Rs 2,433 crore by GAIL, and an LPG import terminal built by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) at an investment of Rs 1,100 crore to cater to the growing demand of LPG in the east. Modi will also inaugurate a four-lane ROB (road over bridge)-cum-flyover at Ranichak, Haldia, on NH41, and lay the foundation stone for Haldia Refinery’s second catalytic de-waxing unit.
Pradhan took a tour of the BPCL refinery before surveying the Helipad Maidan.
Speaking to journalists after exiting the BPCL refinery, Pradhan said Mamata would be expected to attend the event, which is being perceived as a high-profile show of industrial strength by the Centre ahead of the Bengal polls.
A local BJP leader, quoting Pradhan, said at least one lakh supporters would have to be accommodated during the Prime Minister’s speech on February 7.
At the news meet, Pradhan said: “The state government has certainly helped us in organising this visit.”
“The second phase of the Durgapur-Haldia pipeline is held up over land acquisition issues. We hope the state government cooperates so that the project is over by 2022,” he added.
Pradhan said the new oil field find in North 24-Parganas’ Ashoknagar was “good news for Bengal’s economy”.
“Conducted an oil industry meet at Haldia ahead of PM @narendramodi ji’s visit where he will dedicate to the nation oil, gas & road projects worth Rs 4742 cr. I invited family members of our oil industry to be a part of this momentous occasion in the developmental journey of Bengal,” Pradhan tweeted.
Dibyendu at news meet
Trinamul’s Tamluk MP Dibyendu Adhikari, brother of Suvendu Adhikari, was seen at the news meet in conversation with Pradhan.
Dibyendu, not seen at Trinamul events since November, including Mamata’s January 18 mega rally in Nandigram, insisted his presence at the news meet was “apolitical”.
“I did not come to Tekhali (Nandigram) for the rally because there was a family puja that day,” he added.
BJP sources admitted Pradhan had invited Dibyendu to the news meet.
