Congress demands better compensation for Singur farmers

Kolkata, Sep 28 (IANS) West Bengal Congress President Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi Sunday said the ruling Left Front government should offer better economic compensation to the landlosers in Singur.

'It's the responsibility of the state government to provide land and better compensation to Singur farmers,' Dasmunsi, who is also the union information and broadcasting minister, told a party meeting at Sanapara in Hooghly district's Singur - about 40 km from Kolkata.

'I request the government to increase the compensation amount from 10 percent and declare a separate 'land for land' package for the Singur project-affected agricultural land owners.'

Tata Motors has suspended work at Singur plant where the auto major was supposed to roll out the world's cheapest car Nano. The work has been stopped since Sep 2 after some of Tata workers were threatened and manhandled by a section of farmers, led by opposition Trinamool Congress, to protest the acquisition of their land for the Nano project.

Dasmunsi said the Congress would meet Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi Monday and discuss the matter with him.

'We'll appeal to Gandhi to take initiative, once again, to settle the issue,' Dasmunsi said, adding the Congress demands an all-party meeting to be called by the government to resolve the issue.

The six-point package, declared by the state government earlier this month, said all those who have not taken the compensation amount so far will be entitled to a sum equivalent to 10 percent of the award in their respective names. But the deadline for the offer expired Sep 24.

Blaming the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led state government, Dasmunsi said: 'The communists also don't want Tata Motors' Nano project in West Bengal and which is why they are constantly saying the auto major is shifting its plant from the state. This is not the way for a state government to deal such important issue.'

'The CPI-M party does not want the project to be set up in West Bengal. If this happens, they would easily be able to pass on the responsibility to the opposition party. The ruling party is just politicising the Singur issue,' he said.

He said that Tatas should also rethink the matter.

'They (Tata Motors) cannot take the decision (to move out of the state) so easily, just after facing some political agitation. Once they've chosen Singur, they've to set up industry here. They cannot leave West Bengal like this,' he added.