Kolkata, August 27
On the fourth day of the opposition parties’ dharna in front of the Tata Motors’s plant at Singur, both Mamata Banrjee and Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee stuck to their respective stands and there was hardly any sign of an immediate solution to the problem.

The industries minister Nirupam Sen today disclosed the document of their trade agreement with the Tatas on Singur to the Assembly Standing Committee on industries, which had been kept a closely-guarded secret till now.

The copies of the document were not circulated among the members but the text was read out to them.

According to the agreement, 997.45 acres of lands at Singur has been allotted to Tata Motors on a longterm lease for which the company will have to pay a consolidated rent of Rs five crore in every five years; Rs 200 crore will be paid to Tata Motors as soft loan for paying excise duties to the union government; and special relief will be given to the company on VAT and other incidental expenses.

Tata Motors, however, will have to pay to the local municipal authorities and the WBSEB water charges and the electricity bills.

Incidentally, the entire land was acquired for Tata Motors by the WBIDC for
which the government had to spend around Rs 750 crore as compensation and
other expenses.

Meanwhile, Bhattacharjee did not talk to mediapersons today but expressed his firmness in executing the Rs 1500 crore Tata’s Nano car project “in toto” within the stipulated period, which he also conveyed to Ratan Tata.

At the same time he also requested Mamata to call off their agitation and work towards a settlement.

WBPCC(l) sources said Bhattacharjee also spoke to the external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and sought the Centre’s help to resolve the crisis.

Accordingly, Mukherjee spoke to the union surface transport minister T.R. Baalu for ensuring normal transport movement on the Durgapur highway, which is under the National Highway Authority.

On the other hand, Mamata reiterated their decision to continue the dharna. “He has no sympathy for the poor farmers and their families whose farm lands had been forcibly acquired,” she alleged.

Mamata warned that if the lands were not returned to the affected farmers similar blockades would be made on other highways.

She also told transport operators that she was sympathetic to their miseries,
but was helpless.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s opposition to bandhs today invited sharp criticism from his party and allies alike who said it was “unbecoming” on the part of a veteran marxist like him to make such remarks.

The opposition Congress and Trinamool dubbed it as a “volte face” and said staging bandh was a “fundamental right” of the workers.

Kerala Chief Minister and Bhattacharjee’s party colleague V.S. Achuthanandan resented the anti-bandh remarks.

“I don't think he had expressed such an opinion. If he had said so, then it is wrong,” he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

As many as five labourers were proceeding to their work place when they were stopped and beaten by activists of Trinamool Congress, the police said.

One of the victims lodged a police complaint, saying the attackers threatened them not to work for the project.

The trolley van-puller was also instructed not to ferry any worker to the project site. Fearing attack, all trolley van-pullers stayed away. — PTI