Singur effect: CPM to remain extra alert on land acquisition

KOLKATA: Admitting it’s mistake in Singur land acquisition which became Mamata Banerjee’s trump card in pulling down 34-year-old Left government in Bengal, the opposition front in it’s draft election manifesto has promised that it would be extremely careful in acquiring land for industrialisation.

“In order to provide employment, we will have to set up big industrial units, but we will have to remain extra alert as far as the issue of land acquisition is concerned,” Front has promised now. “We will try our best to acquire land after consensus among people. We will pay profitable price to those families who will sacrifice their land. We will ensure training and employment of at least one member of the affected families,” the Front has said.

The Opposition coalition has also promised that once they are voted to power again, their government will take special initiatives to develop sectors like manufacturing industry, steel, automobile, petrochemicals, power, cement industry, leather and garment industry.

For the workers of unorganised sector, who were once a strong support base of CPM, the Front has promised to ensure a minimum monthly salary of `15,000. The Front also promised to pay a monthly allowance of Rs 2500 to the each workers of closed units.