West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday blamed that “a section of the media” and “people with vested interests” were trying to “malign” her Government on the Haldia port issue. Banerjee said operations were not affected at the Haldia dock complex (HDC).

Operations were hit at the Haldia port owing to a stalemate over cargo sharing among three major cargo handlers for the last one-and-a-half months. HDC, which is already affected by low cargo flow, witnessed closure of operations at its mechanised berths (No 2 and 8) for more than a week recently. Port workers also held protests at HDC following termination of 275 workers by one of the private cargo handlers.

“I saw that operations are on at the Haldia port. Some people including media persons are taking a one-sided stand (on this issue). They are blackmailing the Government,” Banerjee said here.

Trinamool MP from Tamluk (East Midnapore) Suvendu Adhikari, who was present on the occasion, said a group of people were “spreading anti-investment messages” about Haldia port. According to State Commerce and Industries Minister, Partha Chatterjee, the Haldia industrial area received investment proposals of worth Rs 50,000 crore over the last one-and-a-half years.

Eco-tourism project

The Chief Minister also expressed her discontent over the Centre’s decision to not clear the proposed eco-tourism project on environmental grounds at Nayachar (Haldia). The project has recently hit a roadblock as the Ministry of Environment and Forests seeking certain clarifications.

“I do not know why they have blocked it. If they do not clear the area for the tourism project, let us go for another area and not wait for anybody," Banerjee said while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the second PET resin plant of Dhunseri Petrochem and Tea Ltd at Haldia.

ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in

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