Click to play videoKolkata: For Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, it was indeed a very big day.
After months of deliberation, the Salim group of Indonesia has finally signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bengal government to build a series of industrial parks, special economic zones and townships.
However, that throws at Bhattacharjee, the huge challenge of acquiring nearly 40,000 acres of farmland across three districts, which isn't going to be easy and could take a very long time.
Says Commerce and Industries Minister, West Bengal, Nirupam Sen, "The Indonesian company says that they will take nearly 15 years' time to complete the entire project, including building the townships and SEZs."
The biggest hurdle ahead is acquisition of land and to overcome it, the Salim group has proposed to invest up to Rs 3,500 crore to build social infrastructure.
It's a unique inclusive model to rehabilitate displaced farmers, which the Bengal government feels, would accelerate industrialisation of the state.
Under the agreement signed with the Bengal government, the Salim group has committed to resettle villagers who lose their dwellings and offer 100-sq ft kiosks in clusters to as many as 20,000 marginal farmers.
It has also agreed to provide healthcare facilities to displaced farmers, and train them to become industrial labourers.
Says Nirupam Sen, "This will further add to the industrialisation process of the state. It's a win-win situation and that is the exact nature of the project. You see, each and every project is interrelated in such a fashion that the success of one is dependent on others."
If successful this FDI - which could be the biggest in the infrastructure sector - and the compensation package, might well become a model for other states to follow.
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