Left sweetens Singur package

The Left Front has worked out a special compensation package to accommodate unwilling farmers who had not accepted compensation for land acquired to house the 997 acre factory to build the Tata Motors Nano at Singur, 40km from Kolkata.

The cause of the farmers was being championed for the last 10 days by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and her allies from their 21 protest platforms around the factory wall, leading to closure of work at the plant from August 29.

The package was likely to offer a bundle of options like enhanced compensation, annuity scheme and some sort of job assurance for one member from each distressed family.

The issue of alternative land could also be brought to the negotiating table if the Opposition wanted it and the government would try to accommodate that request to the extent possible, said the source.

The package was one of three decisions arrived at this afternoon at a meeting of the state Left Front.

The Left Front also formally indicated its acceptance of the settlement proposal suggested by the governor though it reserved comment on the presence of a neutral mediator.

The third decision was to empower Bhattacharjee to convene a meeting of all parties on the Singur issue.
"The Left Front welcomes the positive role of the Governor and the Trinamool chief," said Left Front chairman Biman Bose.

In a parallel development, TC leader of the opposition in Parliament Partha Chatterjee met the governor today for the third day running, ostensibly to discuss issues related to ‘madrasas’ in the state but Singur is understood to have featured at the meeting.