Mamata asks party leaders to stay away from industrial disputes

She was speaking at the inauguration of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka group promoted Rs 46,00 crore Haldia thermal power

Inaugurating the RP-Sanjiv Goenka group flagship company CESC promoted Rs 4600 crore Haldia thermal power plant—West Bengal’s single largest private investment — chief minister Mamata Banerjee today sent out a positive vibe to investors by asking political leaders not to unnecessary interfere in industrial activity in the state.

Mamata Banerjee, who once had led Singur land movement forcing Tata Motors to shift its proposed Nano factory out of the state, today said, “There should be no unnecessary interference if there is any dispute in industrial activity. I am asking all MPs, MLAs, elected members of local bodies to stay away from such interference.”

“If there is a dispute between employer and employees, it should be sorted out by them,” she said, in the presence of TMC MP Subhendu Adhikari and party MLA Shiuli Saha, who are often accused for inflaming labour issues, especially at Haldia port.

“There should be a constructive approach from industrialists as well, as Sanjiv has shown by making this plant possible,” Banerjee added.

The 600-Mw (two units of 300 Mw) plant at Baneswar Chawak (Haldia) in East Medinipur district, is set up through Haldia Energy Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CESC.

“The first phase which constitutes 300 Mw power, will be commissioned in the first week of December and the next 300 Mw would be on the grid by February,” CESC chairman Sanjiv Goenka said.

China-based Shanghai Electric Corp has supplied the boiler turbine-generator for the plant built over 317 acres. Punj Lloyd was the engineering procurement and construction contractor.

Power from the Haldia plant would be sold to CESC's own consumers in Kolkata and its suburban regions at an administered tariff. Power evacuation will be done through 86-km transmission line with 249 transmission towers from plant to Power Grid Corporation India substation at Subhasgram.

CESC is the sole distributor of electricity within an area of 567 sq km of Kolkata as well as parts of Howrah, Hooghly, North and South 24 Parganas. It serves 2.5 million consumers including domestic, industrial and commercial users. Maximum demand in the CESC licensed area is 2,042 Mw.