October 30, 2012
Kolkata — While West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday described the Haldia Dock imbroglio as "exaggerated", the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) attacked the state government for vitiating the industrial environment in the state.
October 30, 2012
Kolkata — While West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday described the Haldia Dock imbroglio as "exaggerated", the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) attacked the state government for vitiating the industrial environment in the state.
"Nothing has happened in Haldia. Everything is peaceful there. The administration and police are doing their work. A section of the media with vested interest is exaggerating things and trying to malign the government," said Banerjee at the state secretariat.
The Congress and the CPI-M have demanded action to sort out the labour unrest in Haldia Dock Complex in East Midnapore district, which has led to cargo handling company ABG Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT) threatening to leave the state.
"The Bengal government has started a war against the industry. By creating a vicious environment it wants to drive away the industry. The Congress will battle against the state government's war against industrialisation," state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya told mediapersons here.
"Through mass movement we will compel the government to bring back industry in the state," he added.
Attacking the Trinamool Congress government for disturbing the industrial climate in the state, the Congress demanded restoration of law and order in the Haldia Dock Complex and sought the arrest of those who have been trying to create disturbance.
The Congress Monday had also sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention on the issue.
CPI-M's leader of opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra said: "The chief minister must initiate investigations into what is going on Haldia. The people must be told what deals have been made behind the curtains and why a company is being forced to quit the state."
The deadlock at Kolkata Port Trust's (KoPT) Haldia Dock Complex over operations of ABG Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT) has been continuing ever since the retrenchment of 275 employees of the HBT in September.
Following the unrest, HBT had stopped operations at the second and eighth berths of the dock complex, resulting in KoPT moving the Calcutta High Court for permission to terminate its agreement with HBT.
While HBT had claimed that three of its officials were abducted Sunday, East Midnapore Superintendent of Police Sukesh Jain rubbished the allegations, saying "investigations have proved nothing to suggest abduction".
Courtesy: IANS
