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At Singur, we will allow industry only on global tender: Mamata

Raktima Bose

Sets December 2 deadline for return of “forcibly acquired land”

Warning comes in the wake of visit by executives of Chinese company
“CPI(M) cadres along with police trying to create terror in Lalgarh”

— PHOTO: SUSHANTA PATRONOBISH

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee addressing a meeting in Singur on Saturday.

Singur: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday warned the West Bengal government against inviting any investor to set up industry here on the land lying vacant following the exit of Tata Motors, insisting that it float a global tender for the purpose.

She set a December 2 deadline for return of 400 acres of ‘excess’ land, which she alleged was forcibly acquired for the Tatas’ car project, since relocated in Gujarat.

Ms. Banerjee’s warning comes in the wake of the recent visit to that site by executives of the Chinese car manufacturer, First Automobiles Works. They were accompanied by government officials and were scouting for land.“We have nothing against individual investors but we will not allow the government to set up any industry here unless a global tender is floated.” Moreover, an industry should be set up only on 600 acres of land there and the remaining 400 acres “forcibly acquired” should be returned to farmers who had not taken compensation.

Bigger movement

A bigger movement would be launched if the government failed to honour the agreement reached on September 7, in the presence of Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi. (As part of the agreement, the government would return the land of all those farmers who were not compensated. Most of the land is on the premises of the then proposed car factory.)

Ms. Banerjee was addressing a meeting organised to mark the district court’s conviction of two Communist Party of India (Marxist) men in the case of killing of Tapasi Malik, a Krishi Jami Raksha Committee supporter. Turning to the tribal movement in Lalgarh in Paschim Medinipur district, she said: “I express solidarity with the people who are fighting against police atrocities and administrative failure to address their grievances.”

She said CPI(M) cadres, along with the police, were trying to create terror in that region the way they did at Nandigram in 2007. The tribals have been protesting against “police excesses” following the November blast .

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