GUWAHATI, May 15 � State Industry Minister Pradyut Bordoloi today came down hard on certain student organisations in the State alleging that these organisations are demanding huge sums of money from those investing money in the State.
Bordoloi, while citing the recent instance of Star Cement receiving a demand for Rs 28 lakh from the leaders of an influential students� body of the State to allow setting up its factory at Dimoria, for which Star Cement already has the requisite green signal from the Government, stated that such activities are threatening to derail the new-found impetus in the industrial sector of the State. He, however, refrained from naming the student body.
The Minister informed that he has asked the Star Cement authority to lodge an FIR in this connection and the district administration too has been directed to take suo-moto case if it comes across any such activity.
The new factory of Star Cement, the Minister said, would provide direct and indirect employment to 10,000 local youths. �But the student organisation, which very often is seen talking about State�s interests is holding the project to ransom,� the Minister said.
�Almost every new industrial project in the State is faced with protests by organisations, some very little known. The leaders of these groups extort money from the investors in lieu of �allowing� them to set up business,� the Minister alleged.
He maintained that a handful of leaders mislead the innocent people of the respective areas where such industries are to be set up and then, stage demonstrations against the new projects.
�The protests are almost always on grounds that the new industry will create pollution, but these leaders have no answer when asked to specify their charges,� he said.
He went on to inform that the State Pollution Control Board is the authority concerned and the State Government has asked it to abide by all guidelines while issuing non-objection certificates for any project.
Bordoloi, however, conceded that the investors normally shy away from lodging a formal complaint as they fear repercussions at the project site.
�It is becoming a social menace and is putting hurdles for the State�s development,� he rued.
�Unless the people become aware that these industries will actually contribute to their well-being and that the protesting leaders are serving their personal benefits, accelerated growth of the industrial sector is not possible,� he added.
