Didi takes FDI to farmers

Tamluk CM tells them their land will be 'grabbed by new set of middlemen'

In a bid to explain her opposition to foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail to the farmers, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday warned the farmers that they will lose their lands. "They want to snatch your land and livelihood and set up Walmart here. But let me say this. As long as I am here, we will not allow Walmart to enter Bengal," Banerjee told a rally at Nimtouri in rural Tamluk as the party geared to take up the FDI issue in the panchayat elections that are scheduled for next year.

According to her, a group of middlemen will come to the fore through the FDI in retail who will "stop farmers from selling their produce and will slowly grab their land".

Ironically, at the same rally she said she was proud to announce that the Japanese-owned Mitshubishi, which has set up a chemical plant in Haldia, was going to make fresh investments in the plant.

Mitshubishi Chemicals incidentally, has made the highest foreign direct investment in the state and one of the biggest in the country. It is often shown as a feather in the crown of Bengal's industrial revival both during the Left and now under the Trinamool Congress government.

"The UPA government is trying to sell our country. In the name of reforms they are carrying out loot. Loot chalche loot, jhoot chalche jhoot," she said repeating her new slogan that began with a post on her Facebook wall.

She also accused the media of "spreading canards" against her. "Just because I am opposed to reforms, a section of the media is spreading canard against us. But they are not Gods that whatever they say will be believed by the people," she added.

... contd.

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