The agreement between West Bengal government and Trinamool Congress to resolve the Singur issue appeared to be falling apart
KOLKATA: The agreement between West Bengal government and Trinamool Congress to resolve the Singur issue on Monday appeared to be falling apart as authorities ruled out change in landholding of Tata Motors' car plant and relocation of ancillary units and the company said it would implement the project only if found viable.
Adopting a tough posture, Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, on the other hand, stuck to her statement that 300 acres would be returned to the 'unwilling' farmers from the Tata Motors' Nano car project area in Singur, which raised the hackles of the company and the state government.
West Bengal Industry Minister Nirupam Sen said that "there will not be any change in the Tata project nor any relocation of vendors' park".
In a virtual rejection of Mamata's remark that 300 acre besides 100 acre from outside the project site would be returned, Sen said the Nano car plant and vendor's park are an integrated project 'and it is a very important issue'.
"The state government did not even agree at the meeting to make any change in the Tata project or relocation of vendor's park because this is an integrated project", he said.
The Tata Motors rejected any compromise on the land holding pattern in the project site, including ancillary units saying it is an integrated auto cluster for manufacturing facilities and vendor park.
In a statement, the company said construction work at the Nano car plant would remain on hold and it would review its stand only if it was satisfied that the viability of the project was not being impinged under any changed land-holding pattern.
"The entire land (1,000 acres) is fundamental for our project," a press statement issued by the Tata Motors said.
"Tata Motors is distressed at the limited clarity on the outcome of the discussions between the state government and the representatives of the agitators in Singur," a press statement issued by a spokesperson of Tata Motors said.
Tata Motors Managing Director sent a letter to West Bengal government seeking clarification about the outcome of the discussions at the Raj Bhawan on Sunday.
Sen said Ravi Kant communicated to the state government that they were "confused" and sought to know 'what is the actual position'.
"We read statements of the opposition leaders that land is supposed to be given back from inside the project site and that the vendor park will be relocated," Ravi Kant said in the communication to the state government during the day.
He urged the state government "to inform us and provide us complete clarity so that we can take an appropriate decision".
On the other hand, Mamata today reiterated that the 300 acres would be provided from within the project area, even though the statement about the agreement read out by Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi on Sunday did not mention how much land would be provided to the farmers who have not recceived compensation.
Mamata said that the government would have to decide where the vendor's park for the Tata small car project would be set up, suggesting that the ancillary units should be shifted somewhere adjacent to the plant.
She said the agreement had been signed by a minister of the state government and the chief minister had agreed to it and "the government cannot now back out of the agreement". This is a gentleman's agreement ", she said.
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