I can’t afford to return the land: Buddha to Mamta

“I cannot afford to return the 400 acres. If that land has to be returned, (then) Tata Motors project has to be dropped. I cannot allow this to happen,” West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told an interactive session with industry chamber Assocham in Kolkata.

The chief minister also said that it was not “legally possible” to return the land. Describing recent protests at Singur as “unfortunate,” Bhattacharjee said that he was in constant touch with opposition leaders to ease the situation.

The government has already held one round of talks with TC leaders, but could not reach an agreement on ending protests, which prompted Tata Group chief Ratan Tata to threaten to take the Nano project elsewhere.

“I am not an egoist. We are ready to formulate a package for those affected by the project,” he said. The chief minister said he was still optimistic about the project. “I still believe that Nano will roll out from the Singur plant in October.”

Work on Nano slowing down

Work at the Tata Motors small car plant in Singur continued to suffer on Tuesday because of thin attendance of contract workers, as an indefinite sit-in by the Trinamool Congress party men entered the third day.

“Attendance of the company officials was around 85 per cent, but only 20 per cent contractual workers turned up,” said a Tata Motors spokesman.

TC chief Mamata Banerjee said the agitation would not be called off unless the state government agrees to the party’s demand for return of 400 acres of land to farmers who were allegedly forced to give up their property.

The busy Durgapur expressway near the Tata Motors plant remained closed because of the dharna, causing a traffic snarl.

Home secretary Ashoke Mohan Chakraborty said police in Hooghly has been asked to talk to the TC leadership for reopening one side of the expressway.