Mamata serves 10-day deadline to Buddha govt

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday issued a 10-day deadline to the Left Front government in West Bengal to withdraw permission to the Tatas for the small car project at Singur and meet certain other demands, even as construction for it continued.

Making her first public appearance after calling off her 25-day hunger strike on December 28, she told a press conference here that her party and its 21-party alliance were prepared for talks on Singur issue with Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee if a congenial environment was created.

"The first and foremost condition is that the permissive possession granted to the Tatas for construction of the factory be withdrawn within ten days. There should also be no acquisition of farmland for the project," she said.

She also demanded that the car factory be shifted to non-arable land.

If this was not done within 10 days, she said she would personally lead a march at Singur, she said "come what may. We are ready to face police lathis and bullets."

"On the other hand, we'll be ready for talks if the land is restored to the status before the handover of possession to the Tatas. All options are open for discussions," she said.

Asked how she would respond if the government did not heed her demands, Banerjee said, "The ball is not in my court. The farmers will decide the future course of agitation. But I can say it will be a massive agitation. There will be both announced and unannounced agitation. We will force the Tatas to say bye-bye."