We've learnt from Nandigram: Left

LESSONS LEARNT: Nirupam Sen said farmers should be incorporated in the process of development.

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New Delhi: With the West Bengal government scrapping the chemical hub project in Nandigram and announcing its decision to relocate the same to a new place, state Industries Minister Nirupam Sen says industrialisation will go ahead as planned in the state.

CNN-IBN spoke to the Minister ahead of the CPI-M Politburo and Central Committee meetings that began in Delhi on Saturday.

Sandeep Banerjee: What is the status of industrialisation in West Bengal?

Nirupam Sen: All the projects that are in the pipeline are on in full swing. I don’t think that will affect the industrialisation process as such. There are a lot of controversies on the issue of SEZs but I don’t think there are any controversies on other industrial projects that are coming up in West Bengal.

Sandeep Banerjee: The Chief Minister had recently gone on record recently to say that the chemical hub will be shifted from Nandigram. There are rumours that it will now be in Haldia. Can you confirm that for us?

Nirupam Sen: It will be around Haldia, no doubt about that. The chemical hub should be around a port as it is the Government policy.

Sandeep Banerjee: The Nandigram issue was also highjacked, some would say, by your political opposition in the state. Has the Left in West Bengal learnt any lesson from it?

Nirupam Sen: Of course, we have learnt a lot of lessons. You should not ignore the peasants and try to form a comprehensive package so that they can think that their livelihood will improve and not deteriorate. If we can incorporate them in the process of development, it will be better.