Defying both the Centre and the state government, Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today said she would set up an eco-tourism hub in Nayachar in place of the proposed Petroleum Chemical and Petrochemicals Investment Region, which the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs of the UPA government has already cleared.

Banerjee was speaking at Nandigram, where she today inaugurated the work on 17 km of railway lines from Nandigram to Deshpran between Contai and Digha railway stations in East Midnapore district, besides announcing a station for Nandigram.

Interestingly, Governor M K Narayanan, who visited Haldia yesterday, had also welcomed the PCPIR saying it would help industrialisation in Bengal.

“We will not allow them to create tandav in Nayachar. We will set up an eco-tourism hub there. There will be no need for displacing anyone. We will work with and for locals and fishermen in Nayachar. They will be a part of the project,” the railway minister said at the function. “This eco-tourism project will be a landmark project in India and will be environment-friendly,” she added.

The state government had announced Nayachar as the alternative to the proposed chemical hub at Nandigram, which had to be scrapped following violent resistance from the villagers against land acquisition.

The state government has estimated a total investment of Rs 93,180 crore in the proposed PCPIR, which will generate 10 lakh jobs, employing around 4 lakh directly.

The Trinamool chief also spoke about the development of Nandigram which, along with Singur, catapulted her to the political centre-stage in Bengal. “Nandigram is a big chapter in my life,” she said, while announcing a computerised railway booking centre to come up at Nandigram soon.

Mamata also announced two trains from Maoist-hit Jhargram, where she recently held a rally. These include the Jhargram-Purulia Birsa Munda Express and Midnapore-Jhargram Express.