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Some signs of breakthrough on Singur

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: There were some signs — though rather nebulous — of a possible breakthrough, after the second round of talks between the West Bengal government and the Trinamool Congress here on Saturday, over the Singur car project land issue.

“Both panels had an opportunity to probe into greater details of proposals for a land-based rehabilitation scheme in and around the Singur project site,” Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who chaired the talks, said later.

“I am confident that our discussions that were marked by frankness and cordiality will lead to a satisfactory conclusion in our sessions over tomorrow [Sunday] and the day after,” Mr. Gandhi said.

He believed that the parties concerned were seriously engaged in resolving the issue.

With a solution to the problem seemingly within reach, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will be meeting Mr. Gandhi on Sunday.

There has also reportedly been a request from the Raj Bhavan to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for separate talks the same day.

The Trinamool-led agitation outside the project site at Singur demanding that the land allegedly forcibly acquired from farmers be returned to them entered its 14th day. Ms. Banerjee reiterated her demand that land “grabbed from peasants be returned to them.”

“We want a solution to the problem; let the Tatas set up the factory but let go of the land acquired forcibly from the peasants. The discussions initiated by the Governor are on though the details are not yet available,” she said.

The discussions between the two panels representing the State government and Ms. Banerjee to arrive at a solution to the Singur crisis began on Friday.

They were being held in the backdrop of the Tata Motors suspending work since September 2 in view of the “continued confrontation and agitation at the site.”

Saturday’s talks revolved around the issue of land and the concessions the State government is willing to concede to the demand of the Trinamool Congress-led Opposition of returning 400 acres of land allegedly forcibly acquired from farmers.

Government proposals

The panel representing the State government, that is working on a sustainable economic rehabilitation package for those who have had to part with their plots, placed at the meeting its proposals on the issue.

It also reportedly mentioned its willingness to provide some land from both within and outside the project area to the land losers though the finalities were yet to be determined.

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