கம்யூனிஸ்டுகள் முட்டாள்களாக இருந்தோம் - பட்டாச்சாரியார் ஒப்புதல்

தனிச்சொத்து, தனியார் மூலதனம், அணு சக்தி மின்சாரம் ஆகியவற்றில் கம்யூனிஸ்டுகள் முட்டாள்களாக இருந்தோம் என்றும் தற்போது உலகத்தில் உள்ள மற்ற நாடுகளை பார்த்து லேட்டாக புரிந்துகொண்டோம் என்றும் வங்காள முதலமைச்சர் பட்டாச்சாரியார் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

We just can’t avoid nuclear power: Buddhadeb
Staff Reporter
“We have, however, certain doubts about the environmental problems, the cost of nuclear plants…”
— Photo: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury

Moving ahead: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee interacting with Sunil Bharti Mittal (right), president, CII, and CMD, Bharti Enterprises; K.V. Kamath (extreme left), vice-president, CII, and Managing Director and CEO, ICICI Bank Limited; and Sunil Kant Munjal, Managing Director & CEO, Hero Cycles Ltd. (C.R. Division) and Hero Corporate Service Limited, at the National Council Meeting of the CII in Kolkata on Monday.

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Monday came out in favour of nuclear power as one of the sources for meeting the country’s future energy requirements .

“We just cannot avoid nuclear power,” he said, when asked about the implications of the India-United States civilian nuclear deal while participating at an interactive session with members of the National Council of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) here.

“We have, however, certain doubts about the environmental problems, the cost of [setting up] nuclear plants and the price of electricity generated by them,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said, while referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement about the need to usher in a “nuclear renaissance.” All these issues will have to be properly assessed and addressed by scientists, planners as well as corporate people, he added.

“Let the scientists debate the issue and come to a consensus,” he said. While Mr. Bhattacharjee described his view as “technical rather than political,” industry leaders interpreted it as a positive sign. “It is a cautious yes,” said Sunil Mittal, president, CII.

Mr. Bhattacharjee said that with increasing growth rate and flow of Foreign Direct Investment, there was need for power in the State. “We need ‘green power’ in the context of global warming and our scientific advisers are asking us to switch over to non-conventional energy sources such as solar, wind or from river waves,” he added. Ninety-six per cent of power in West Bengal was of thermal origin.

Mr. Bhattacharjee said a careful study of the party literature and resolutions of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) showed that the party had evolved from its earlier position on private capital and was debating new policies. “We Communists are not fools; we are realists and learn from changes taking place elsewhere in the world.”