Pranab allays fears of industry in coal belt

Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee today said that construction on coal bearing areas should not be a problem, allaying apprehensions from the state government over Coal India’s objections on having industrial projects in the Asansol-Durgapur belt of Bardhaman district.

Mukherjee said he was not aware of this problem, but construction should not be a problem. He was responding to the issue raised by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at the inauguration of the Industrial India Trade Fair organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the West Bengal government in association with the India Trade Promotion Organisation.

Bhattacharjee said, “We cannot accept the position of Coal India and technologically it is possible to construct on the surface.” Coal India’s stance was threatening three steel projects totaling an investment of about Rs 50,000 crore in the area.

Bhattacharjee raised two other issues and urged the finance minister to look into the matter. He mentioned that West Bengal did not have a deep sea port and was heavily dependent on the Haldia port, which was facing a lot of problems due to siltation. “Large vessels cannot come,” said the chief minister. He acknowledged the importance of the port and said that it was a grave problem. “The Haldia port not only caters to Kolkata but the entire eastern region. The problems should be addressed,” said Mukherjee. Bhattacharjee also brought to the finance minister’s notice the plight of the jute industry and the dilution of the mandatory packaging.