No end to Nano debate

A day after the landmark ‘land-for-land’ agreement between the West Bengal government and Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamta Banerjee and following TATA Motor’s suspension of construction work at its Nano plant at Singur, the crisis on Tuesday returned when the state government denied to return 300 acres of land to farmers from within specified Nano plant.

On Sunday, in a peace deal between both the government and agitators it was made public that government would try to provide maximum land to the displaced farmers who had so far denied accepting compensation in lieu of their land. It was also decided that a four-member committee would be set to discuss the modalities for a land-based solution.

As per TMC claim, government had agreed to give away 300 acres land from within the primary TATA Motor’s site. However, West Bengal Commerce and Industry Minister Nirupam Sen, in an interview to a private TV channel said, "We have assured the Tatas again that no land will be taken out of the project area and the State Government wants Nano car to roll out from Singur.”

He further said that the government had never agreed to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) demand during the Sunday’s talk that the land-for-land consensus would include the project land.

"We have agreed to explore the possibility of identifying and locating as much land available in the area for giving it to those affected by the land acquisition," Sen said, and added, "I appeal to all to facilitate the Tatas to restart the operations at the Singur plant peacefully and smoothly."

The statement came when TATA expressed its unwillingness to continue the project in Singur owing lack of transparency in Sunday’s deal.

Tata Motors Managing Director Ravi Kant had expressed concerns regarding the opposition's claims that part of the project land would be taken as per the understanding reached at in Sunday's meeting chaired by Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi.

Meanwhile, Mamta Banerjee on Tuesday has again demanded that government should relieve 300 acres of land from within the Nano project area in Singur.