Kolkata, September 9
Tata Motors has accused the state government of misinforming them about the land problem at Singur and held it responsible for the mess.
Tata Motors managing director Ravi Kant today sent a letter to state industries minister Nirupam Sen, making it clear that unless they were certain that the main plan and design of the Nano project would not be disturbed, they would not re-start the plant. Work at the plant was halted on August 24 in the face of intimidation to its employees.
Official sources said the managing director expressed strong resentment that they were not told about the reluctance of the farmers to hand over the land.
The Tatas would not have set up venture at Singur and have their
image tarnished if they had prior knowledge of the land problem, Ravi Kant reportedly told the minister.
Sen, however, maintained they Tata Motors had been told in detail about the outcome of the meetings with Mamata Banerjee and other leaders at Raj Bhavan under the chairmanship of Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi.
He also assured the Tatas that the Nano mother plant and ancillary industries would not be disturbed in the process of returning land to the farmers.
The minister claimed that all apprehensions of the Tatas had been removed and he hoped work at the Singur plant would re-start soon.
But there were no signs of re-opening of the plant at Singur today.There is also little hope of the plant rolling out Nano in October.
Neither the Tata Motors’ regular employees nor those on contract were seen at the plant today. Only policemen and the plant’s security staff stood guard at the factory premises.
Today, at the first meeting of the joint committee set up by the Governor, Trinamool leader Rabindralal Bhattacharyya, Singur MLA, demanded that the assured 300 acres be returned to the farmers from the project site.
He said the TMC panchayats would not take responsibility for acquiring land for affected farmers outside the Singur project. This , he said, was the responsibility of the state
government.
