Thaindian News

Kolkata, Nov 3 (IANS) The West Bengal government Thursday signed a pact with NRI businessman Prasoon Mukherjee for setting up a Rs.26,000 crore worth package of projects including an eco-tourism park and a 2,000 MW power plant at Nayachar Island in East Midnapore district.

“There will be four projects. Besides the eco-tourism and power plant proposals, there will also be housing to rehabilitate fishermen and a scheme for giving incentives for modern fishing methods, besides an industrial park,” Industries Minister Partha Chattereje told mediapersons here.

The power plant and industrial park would each need investment of Rs.12,000 crore, while the eco-tourism project would require Rs.2,000 crore.

A revised development pact for the project was inked by Mukherjee’s New Kolkata industrial Development, the West Bengal Industrial development Corporation and state commerce and industries department.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier scrapped the proposal of the erstwhile Left Front government of developing the area into a Petrochemicals, Chemicals and Petroleum Investment Region (PCPIR) alongside Mukherjee’s firm and the Salim Group of Indonesia.

Chatterjee said Mukherjee has been asked to complete the project first. “All four projects will begin together. The work is due to start in the first or second week of December. He has been asked to get all clearances”.

He said the project which involves huge capital would result in the financial awakening of the state and generate lot of employment.

“The development pact is an amended version of the earlier treaty. The government will extend all cooperation,” he said.

When pointed out that like its predecessor, the Trinamool regime has also signed the initial treaty without floating any competitive bid, Chatterjee replied: “We are satisfied with the explanation given by Mukherjee. We have taken all precautions to protect the interests of the state.”

The petrochem hub was originally slated to come up at Nandigram also in East Midnapore in association with Indonesia’s Salim Group. But consequent to Banerjee led Trinamool Congress’ anti-land acquisition protests in 2007, the Left Front government had shifted it to Nayachar, a largely uninhabited island on the Hooghly.

But the project again hit road block with Banerjee opposing it citing widespread pollution and threat to marine life. The project was scrapped after Banerjee assumed power in the state.