West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced an agro-industrial park at Singur. It was the same place from where she had launched her campaign against the then Left Front government over a decade ago.

Mamata Banerjee announced that her government will set up an industrial park at Singur in the Hooghly district of Bengal. She said, “There is a good prospect for agro-industry at Singur. We are going to set up an agro-industrial park at Singur.”

The Left Front government had approved a Tata car factory at Singur. The project became controversial over the acquisition of land from the farmers. Mamata Banerjee had launched a massive campaign in support of the farmers and against the Tata plant and the Left Front government.

Announcing the agro-industrial park at Singur, Mamata Banerjee had stressed that the Bengal government is against forceful land acquisition.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee had extended the industrial parks scheme for another five years at a Cabinet meeting in September. The West Bengal Incentive Scheme-2014 for Government Approved Industrial Parks that had been launched in 2014 was extended till 2025. The scheme focuses on the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The September decision was for setting up 100 such industrial parks across Bengal. This is an attempt to boost employment generation in Bengal, where unemployment has remained a major concern for the Mamata Banerjee government, which eyes a third consecutive term in next year’s assembly election.

Mamata Banerjee also announced setting up of a new port at Tajpur in East Midnapore. It will be a deep seaport. East Midnapore is the home district of former Bengal minister Suvendu Adhikari, who recently rebelled against Mamata Banerjee and quit her TMC to join the BJP.