Salim Group Remains Confident in West Bengal Projects Despite Expressway Delay
Following Chief Minister Buddadeb Bhattacharjee's announcement of the Indonesia-based Salim Group's Expressway project being put on hold due to land acquisition challenges, Prasoon Mukherjee, the Salim Group's representative and chairman of NKID (New Kolkata Infrastructure Development), expressed confidence that the conglomerate's other substantial projects, including the PCPIR, are progressing as planned.
"We have several projects in Bengal, and the Expressway is a small part of it," Mukherjee affirmed. "The momentary pause on the Raichowk-Kukrahati project will not impact our other ventures, which are significantly larger in scale. I have complete faith in the state government and the chief minister with respect to the industrial development within the state."
In a teleconference conducted from abroad, Mukherjee stated that he has yet to receive formal notification from the state government regarding the Expressway project being put on hold. "However, I have heard about it," he acknowledged. "Concerning the Expressway, the Salim Group is prepared to wait. Our preliminary work and land survey have been completed. As soon as a consensus on land acquisition is reached, we will proceed accordingly."
Addressing the land acquisition issues in West Bengal, Mukherjee emphasized the need for public consensus. "People's consensus is crucial for successful land acquisition," Mukherjee stated. He further articulated the need for educating communities about the benefits of development before requesting access to their land. "The populace must be made aware of the advantages that come with progress before being asked for their land. I am optimistic that the government is taking these necessary steps."
Mukherjee reiterated that all major projects in West Bengal, including the PCPIR and various township development projects, are on schedule and continuing to advance smoothly. He articulated the current land holdings: "Currently, NKID possesses 13,000 acres and is in a position to acquire an additional 12,000 acres, giving them significant leverage for developing large-scale infrastructure projects including the PCPIR."
A non-resident Indian, Mukherjee facilitated the agreement between the Salim Group and the West Bengal state government on July 31, 2006, just two months after Bhattacharjee commenced his second term as chief minister.
Starting in mid-2006, the mega-corporation unveiled three distinct projects. The most ambitious of these, involving an investment of Rs 40,000 crore, was to be executed by a Special Purpose Vehicle, New Kolkata Infrastructure Development (NKID). This entity was tasked with establishing two Special Economic Zones, a cluster of industrial estates, a 100-km Expressway, and a collection of townships, necessitating the acquisition of approximately 37,300 acres of land.
The NKID project encountered a significant setback in 2007 when residents of Nandigram vehemently opposed the government's endeavors to acquire agricultural land for a chemical industrial estate and a Special Economic Zone without prior consultation.
The consequences of these actions manifested in the 2008 Panchayat elections, where the CPM suffered a significant defeat in East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas, demonstrating the impact of public sentiment on political outcomes.