The Hindu : Front Page : Development being disrupted, says Somnath

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 05, 2007
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Development being disrupted, says Somnath

Marcus Dam

KOLKATA: Disrupting the development process had sadly become a profession with some in certain parts of the country, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said here on Sunday. There is no conflict between agricultural development and industrialisation.

"Some political functionaries are opposing development merely to stall the development process without showing any alternative plan [they may have]," Mr. Chatterjee said in obvious reference to questions being raised by the Opposition on the West Bengal Government's drive towards industrialisation.

Mr. Chatterjee, who laid the foundation stone for Ecospace, a technology park in New Town, stressed the need for taking the development process forward.

"Balanced growth"

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that for overall development, a balanced growth in both the agricultural and industrial sectors was imperative for which there was a need for another Green Revolution.

Agricultural growth that was lagging behind had to be increased, Mr. Mukherjee said.

It was also important that governments convince people of the need for industrialisation.

West Bengal, he said, was one of the leading information technology destinations. The development of the IT sector would go a long way to boost industrialisation and overall development, Mr. Mukherjee added.

The Trinamool Congress-led Krishi Jami Raksha (Save Farmland) Committee, which is opposing the acquisition of agricultural land for industry, announced during the day that its agitation against the Tata Motors project at Singur would be resumed with daily protests in the area from March 7.

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