State asks Tatas about its plan for Singur land

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The state government has asked Tata Motors for its plans for the abandoned Nano project site at Singur. This was revealed by state industry minister Nirupam Sen in the Assembly. He was replying to a question from Congress Legislature Party leader Manas Bhunia.

Mr Sen also indicated that the state government may contemplate the return of Singur land from the Tata Motors because the construction work had been discontinued. “As per the law, a company has to continue construction work for a factory for three years from the signing date of land lease agreement, otherwise the state government may contemplate to seek the return of the land,” he elaborated.
The lease agreement for Tata Motors’ small car plant at Singur was signed in March 2007. Following the Trinamul Congress’ strident agitation, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata abandoned the project in October 2008 and shifted Nano plant to Sanand in Gujarat.
Virtually ruling out any possibility of returning the land to the unwilling farmers, Mr Sen once again called for political consensus to set up an alternative industry at the venue of Nano’s abandoned project site in Singur.
“An industry can be set up on if every political party co-operates. People of Singur have suffered immensely. Setting up of an industry, however, depends on the positive attitude of political parties,” Mr Sen added.
Terming the exit of Tata Motors from Singur as “unfortunate”, Mr Bhunia said, “However, it is more unfortunate that the state government failed to keep them back in the state.”
Mr Bhunia even asked Mr Sen as to why the state government had not taken any initiative to bring back the project to Singur.
“The state government should ask the company to set up the project in Singur, leaving aside the disputed portion of the land,” Mr Bhunia suggested.
Mr Sen asked him to take responsibility to find which land was disputed. “The land of the unwilling farmers is not clearly marked. I tried my best but unfortunately could not build a consensus,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Partha Chatterjee said, “Who asked the Tatas to leave? They could have set up the unit on 600 acres.”