Number of unwilling farmers in Singur: 2,200 or 10,000?

“We have a list of 2,200 unwilling farmers with us. The issue is now pending with the court,so it is a sub-judice matter and we cannot comment on it. But it is true that there is a huge difference in numbers of the unwilling farmers that are with the district administration and the one quoted by Krishi Jiban Jibika Raksha Committee,” said a senior district administration official pleading anonymity.

“We will look into it once the verdict is pronounced by the court,” the official added.

Krishi Jiban Jibika Raksha Committee,meanwhile,seems to be determined to get land back for its “10000 unwilling farmers”. “Initially we had a list of 4,000 farmers. But after a detailed inquiry it has been found that there are thousands of unwilling farmers whose names were not included in the list as the mutation of their plots were not done by the Left Front government,” said the group’s chief Becharam Manna,who is also a Trinamool MLA.

“Moreover,the number of land owners has increased as several old farmers have died and the land has to be divided among their sons. So number of the land owners increased automatically,” he added.

Manna has further added that the list will be submitted to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and it will be ensured that all of the “unwilling farmers” get their land back. An official of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC),which too has a list of 2,200 unwilling farmers,said: “If we have to divide the land among 10000 farmers,then there will be legal complication and there are chances that several people will also claim land.”