Prohibitory orders in Singur till Feb 14

KOLKATA: Amidst heightened tension at Singur after Sunday's violence between the police and villagers, the Hoogly district administration on Monday reimposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 barely hours before Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to visit the area.

"Prohibitory orders have been reimposed at Singur on Monday morning," IGP (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said.

Claiming that the situation at Singur was normal and peaceful, Kanojia said the measure was taken for administrative convenience.

Asked whether the reimposition of the prohibitory order at Singur, rocked by Sunday's clash between the villagers and police over uprooting of posts at the fenced off area of Tata Motors small car project site, was a pre-emptive action, he said "It is your presumption."

At Singur IG (Western Range) Arun Gupta and said the prohibitory order would continue till February 14.

Asked about the reason, he said it had been seen that whenever prohibitory orders are withdrawn there have been incidents of violence "as different political parties are competing with each other to create trouble in the area."