We need ‘firm’ proposal from Rlys on Singur : WB Govt

Without elaborating on the ‘dispute free land’,he said “The Rail Board has only asked for the particulars of the land,but they need to give us a firm proposal and then only we can think about participation and the disposal of the land.

“Everything depends on the proposal by the Rail Board. We need to see how they want to use the land. I cannot react to a hypothetical situation,” Chakraborty said.

At present,the Tatas hold the lease for the land,which is due for renewal next April.

Asked who would compensate Tata Motors for the land,he said “the Tatas have not asked for any compensation yet.” Asked whether the 400 acre plot,as demanded by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee,would be returned to farmers who had unwillingly parted with it for the Nano project,Chakraborty said,“So far as the land is concerned,the state government will abide by the Supreme Court guidelines.

“The state government is keen to use the land for a purpose,but we need to examine the entire thing carefully.” Chakraborty,earlier in a letter to Railway Board chairman S S Khurana had said the state would talk to the Tatas for getting back the land once the Railway Minister made a formal announcement on the setting up the factory at Singur.

He had said that the state government in principle was agreeable to the handover of the entire 997.11 acre,earlier acquired for the Tatas,to the Railways for a coach making factory.

The Tatas had decided to shift their small car project from Singur to Gujarat and the state government was now exploring alternative use of the land for development of industry,he had said in his letter.

In its communication to the chief secretary yesterday,the Railway Board stated that 400 acres be kept out of the factory site and immediately returned to the farmers who unwilling parted with it.