West Bengal government anti-industry, says Congress

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Kolkata, Oct 30: In the wake of the ongoing labour unrest in the Haldia Dock Complex, the West Bengal Congress Tuesday said it will stir up a mass movement against the Mamata Banerjee-led government which has “waged a war against the industry”.

“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.

The Congress will organise a mass demonstration in the city Nov 8.

“As a national party, we want to convey the message to all industrialists that we want them in our state. Unlike their (Trinamool Congress) movement, our movement will be to bring in industry and not to drive them away,” said Bhattacharya.

The Congress also 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 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”.

The Congress Monday had sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention on the issue.

IANS