Bankura, Nov 12 West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday pledged to promote environment-friendly industries in the Jangalmahal region, asserting that no hills or forests would be disturbed to make way for industrial projects, while announcing a slew of development initiatives for the tribal-dominated belt.
Addressing a gathering at Raipur in Bankura district on the occasion of the tribal festival ‘Bandna Parab’, Adhikari said industrialisation in the region would be pursued without compromising its ecological balance and the interests of indigenous communities.
“I will not allow anyone to touch the hills or forests. The tribal and indigenous communities here worship nature, and I won’t allow their sentiments to be hurt. There will be environment-friendly industries in Purulia and Bankura, without pollution. The government will decide how land is to be acquired after consulting all stakeholders,” he said.
The chief minister’s assurance comes amid concerns among tribal communities over industrial projects and land acquisition in the forested and hilly areas of Jangalmahal, where environmental protection and preservation of traditional livelihoods have frequently triggered protests.
Adhikari said the government would hold consultations with local communities before acquiring land for industrial purposes, and would ensure that those willing to part with their land voluntarily received an appropriate price.
He also announced that the allocation for the development boards in Bankura had been increased from Rs 10 crore to Rs 50 crore, while an additional Rs 6 crore would be provided for development initiatives in Jangalmahal.
The state government would spend Rs 1,200 crore through the Paschimanchal Unnayan Parshad during the current financial year, he said, contrasting it with the previous regime’s expenditure of Rs 6 crore in the region in the last fiscal.
Adhikari said he had not yet completed a full year in office but had earmarked the enhanced allocation for development of the region, which he alleged had remained neglected under successive Left Front and TMC governments.
The CM also declared plans to expand the Durgapur-Jamshedpur national highway to improve connectivity between two industrial hubs, and upgrade a hospital in Jangalmahal to a 100-bed facility.
On the contentious issue of sand mining, he said the government would bring existing illegal sand quarries into the legal framework to ensure that the state earned revenue and consumers were not forced to pay inflated prices.
“Rest assured, no illegal sand quarry will be allowed to operate. We will undertake the process of regularising the existing quarries so that sand prices do not rise. The money from illegal sand mining went into the pockets of thieves in the previous government. We will ensure that the revenue comes to the state,” he asserted.
The issue of illegal sand mining has been a politically sensitive one in West Bengal, with allegations of large-scale irregularities, financial transactions and artificial price escalation frequently surfacing.
Adhikari also reiterated his government’s commitment to withdrawing cases that he described as false and filed against indigenous people in the Jangalmahal region.
The CM said he would visit Purulia again on November 15 and bring various social organisations under a common platform to discuss development, land-related concerns and the demands of different communities.
Organisations representing the Bauri, Bagdi, Kurmi and Rajbanshi communities would be invited for consultations, he said.
Accusing the previous TMC government of fostering divisions among communities for political gains, Adhikari said it had encouraged rivalries between the Bauris and Bagdis and the Kurmis and Mahatos.
“Politics of division and appeasement will no longer be allowed. Everyone will be brought under the umbrella of development. This government does not belong to me or the BJP; it belongs to you. You have every right to claim your entitlements,” he said.
The chief minister also said the government would complete the formation of development boards by December to preserve the heritage and cultural identity of various communities.
Providing details of healthcare initiatives, Adhikari said 18,58,436 people out of the 25,51,725 eligible residents in Bankura had already received Ayushman Bharat cards, which provide cashless treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh.
Adhikari said those not covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme would be eligible for treatment under the state’s health insurance programme, which, according to him, offered coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh across 38,000 hospitals in the country.
He attended the ‘Bandna Parab’ celebrations at the Birsa Munda Memorial College ground in Raipur, where tribal women welcomed him with traditional rituals, including applying ceremonial tilak and serving traditional delicacies.
Emphasising that indigenous communities were central to the identity of Jangalmahal, he said development initiatives must recognise their cultural traditions, aspirations and rights over the region’s natural resources.
(PTI News)
