KOLKATA: Quelling all doubts, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday declared that the proposed chemical hub in Nandigram would be shifted to some other place.

He, however, added that the decision should not be seen as a defeat of the state government.

“The chemical hub will be set up in West Bengal. I’ve had a discussion with the union government representatives and I’ve assured them that the new location will be announced within the next seven days,” Bhattacharjee said while addressing a rally by the Students’ Federation of India, the CPI(M)’s students’ wing.

The chief minister added that the state government has already finalised an agreement with the Indian Oil Corporation for the chemical project.

Taking the blame for the Nandigram carnage, Bhattacharjee said the state government is determined to move ahead with the industrial drive but in a much cautious manner. “We’ve learnt a lesson from the Nandigram violence and would be careful in future towards any industrial drive,” he added.

Lamenting the loss of life and the bloodshed at the March 14 violence, the chief minister said: “It’s a pity that the people of Nandigram failed to recognize the economic prosperity the chemical hub could have brought.”