A cement company has stepped into the Maoist-dominated zone where mainstream parties and most big league industrialists fear to tread. OCL India Ltd (formerly Orissa Cement) of the Dalmia group plans to start its proposed cement project near Salboni, in the heart of the Maoist badlands.


If everything goes as planned, OCL would start constructing the boundary wall around the site after the Durga puja. The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) handed over the possession letter for the land earlier this week to OCL, said sources.


If the OCL project comes through, it could lead to a turnaround in the area, a reversal of fortunes for the local people. A few small units, including a paper mill, have had to close shop in the area because of the Maoist and PCPA movement over the last two years.


Source: The Times of India

Advertisement