Mamata wants Singur land back at industry meet, but agrees to talks

Amidst the threat of a siege at Singur by the Trinamool Congress, the Tata Motors project site for Nano, its party leader, Mamata Banerjee, today met the chambers of commerce in the city for an interactive session on the issue and industrialization in West Bengal.

The one and a half hour session was largely focused on Singur, with the industry pleading for a solution to the impasse.

S B Ganguly, chairman emeritus, Exide Industries said that the industry wanted Bengal to prosper and grow and whatever opposition is there should be solved amicably.

He pointed out that while small parcels of land could be acquired directly by the industry, for large tracts the industry required government intervention. “You have done so much, we need your support now,” said Ganguly.

Sandipan Chakravortty, chairman Confederation of Indian Industry (eastern region) and managing director, Tata Ryerson, which happens to be one of the ancillary units for the Nano project said that there was a problem with land acquisition but the industry believed that there was a solution.

“You have always supported the industry and are still supporting us,” he said.

However, there was no climb down from Banerjee’s side even as she tried to convince the industry captains that she was for industrialization and industry and agriculture should be complementary.

Interestingly, she said Tata Motors had sent her a “confidential” letter on the project but refused to divulge further details.

In fact what was meant to be a closed door meeting with the chambers of commerce was turned into a public speech by the Trinamool leader as the session was opened to the media.

Banerjee said that she did not want a policy which was favourable for one individual.

“It should be a uniform industrial policy, which could be segregated in terms of size of the industry,” she said.

She also pointed out to the industry that the industry captains present did not get the same degree of benefits as Tata Motors had got for the project.

“Why such discrimination,” she asked.

However, she refrained from blaming Ratan Tata and said that he had been made a scapegoat by the state government, which was taking an egoistic view rather than taking a holistic view.

She urged the industry to convince the state government that the 400 acres which had been acquired without the land-losers’ consent be returned. While acknowledging that the 400 acres was scattered across the project site, she said that Tata Motors could choose the 650 acres required for the mother plant from the entire land.

Banerjee said the 55 ancillary units could come up elsewhere. She cited a “confidential letter” written by Tata Motors to her and said that the letter mentioned that the ancillary units would not supply to Nano but cars across the world.

However, despite no perceptible breakthrough in Banerjee’s stand, the industry felt that it the meeting was a positive step as the deadlock had been broken and a discussion could now progress.

Sandipan Chakravortty pointed out that Banerjee’s speech ended on a positive note as she said that the discussion meant a new beginning.

Leader of the Opposition, Partha Chatterjee would meet state industry and commerce minister, Nirupam Sen, tomorrow, to discuss Singur.