'Nano, enigma wrapped in mystery'

AHMEDABAD: Saying that the Nano car project in Gujarat was an enigma shrouded in mystery, the opposition Congress on Monday asked the Narendra Modi government to make public details of land transfer to the Tata group.

"There are many unanswered questions: at what price was the land given to the Tatas and what were the payment terms, is there any provision in the pact that the Gujarati youth will be given jobs, is there any relief in electricity rates or sales tax, is there any agreement to develop ancillary industries in Gujarat and is there any truth in the protests being heard from some quarters that the state industrial policy has been changed overnight?" state Congress chief Siddharth Patel said.

Accusing Modi of resorting to "cheap popularity stunts", Patel said there were many large-scale projects like General Motors' car factory at Halol and the Reliance and Essar oil refineries that came up during the Congress rule but no chief minister had indulged in self-promotions.

"Two years back, the central government had set up a 4,000 MW project worth Rs.16,000 crore (Rs.160 billion) in Kutch which was given to the Tatas. Half the project has been completed. Did the prime minister (Manmohan Singh) advertise himself on this achievement?" Patel asked.

The Tata Motors project to manufacture the world's cheapest car, Nano, moved to Sanand near Ahmedabad last week, after facing protests in West Bengal.