I am only against forcible acquisition of land: Mamata

Countering the CPI-M's charge that she was anti-industry, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday asserted she was only against forcible acquisition of land and never opposed setting up of any factory.

In an obvious reference to the pullout of the Tatas from Singur, she said, "The CPI-M has dubbed me as anti-industry. But I always said that let the factory be set up on 600 acres and return 400 acres. They don't know how to work."

Banerjee, who was here to lay the foundation for a DMU coach factory, asked, "How much land is required for a car factory? We have 42.5 acres of land here on which the DMU coach unit will be set up. The painting of the coach will be done in Kharagpur. What is the harm in it?"

Banerjee, who also laid the foundation for a wagon component unit at Jellingham near Nandigram, said that it would be set up jointly by the Railways, SAIL and Burn Standard.

In an oblique reference to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's comment expressing surprise over source of funds for setting up of so many factories announced by her, she said, "They are jealous.

Earlier also they had predicted that the Digha-Tamluk rail will not come up when I was the railway minister in my earlier term and tried to disrupt it. CPI-M is doing nasty politics.

"They don't do it themselves and opposed if someone else wanted to do it. There is no use showing jealousy. One should know how to work," she said.

"The CPI-M sought explanation for my work in the last one and a half years without explaining what they have done in the 35 years they are in power," she said and promised "I will fulfill 99 per cent of the commitment made in the railway budget."

Accusing the CPI-M of opposing the DMU unit at Sankrail in Howrah district, she said it had been shifted to Haldia which has port connectivity. "But I am still open to setting up of a unit at Sankrail. However, much they try, they will not be able to stop us from setting up factories."

She said her ministry was setting up so many units across the state and country where people would get employment. Railway will provide employment and rehabilitate those who gave up land for laying railway tracks, she said.

"No project can be implemented if there is no vision. A deep-sea port will be set up at Sagar Island by the shipping ministry for which no land is required."

Claiming that the LF government was doing whatever they want and allowed people to keep much more land than the ceiling permitted, she said the entire thing would be reviewed after a new government was installed in the state after the Assembly poll.