Salim Group executive director Benny Santoso (right) at Writers’ Buildings on Friday. Picture by Kishor Roychowdhury

Calcutta, Nov. 3: The Bengal government’s biggest land acquisition exercise — around 25,000 acres for the Salim Group — is set to begin by the end of this year.

The Indonesian conglomerate will build a chemical hub in Haldia, a multi-product special economic zone at nearby Nandigram, townships at Baruipur and Kukrahati and a 98-km expressway spanning the two 24-Parganas.

Commerce and industries secretary Sabyasachi Sen said land acquisition notices for the expressway and the townships will be issued this month itself and the rest by December.

The Barasat-Raichak road will be completed in three years and the bridge — connecting Raichak in South 24-Parganas and Kukrahati in East Midnapore — in five.

“The government will appoint consultants to assess whether the projects are being designed according to our requirements. We’ll also recruit an agency to supervise the progress of work,” said Sen.

Salim Group executive director Benny Santoso and representatives of his Chinese collaborator, Zong Shen, made a presentation before the chief minister today and wanted more land for their two-wheeler project in Howrah.

“They want 100 acres added to 68-acre plot,” said Sen.

The Salims will pay for the acquisition of land and the lease rent. “We’re not giving any concessions. These do not fall in the same bracket as the Tatas’ Singur project,” Sen said.

The chief minister said a Salim subsidiary would take up the pisciculture project in Howrah. “Benny is not a pisciculture specialist. He’ll send experts to discuss the project,” he said. “The amount of land required is yet to be finalised.”