No chemical hub at Nandigram: Bengal CM

Faced with public outrage over the police firing on people opposing the acquisition of land for industry and growing unrest over the issue, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday announced that a proposed chemical hub would not be set up in Nandigram.

"We do not want clashes and bloodbath for the sake of industry, we have learnt lessons from Nandigram and we have decided at the government level that we will not go to Nandigram under any circumstances," Bhattacharjee told a rally of the CPI-M's student wing.

But he said the chemical hub would be set up at a different location in the state. He had spoken with the Centre in this regard and a decision on the new location of the proposed hub would be taken "within seven days".

Bhattacharjee regretted that the project could not be set up in Nandigram, saying, "The people of Nandigram failed to realise the advantage of having a chemical hub which would have changed the economy of the area." Bhattacharjee said his government had concluded an agreement with the Indian Oil Corporation for the chemical hub.