Kolkata, October 3
Tatas today pulled out of West Bengal for its Rs 1-lakh car Nano project, blaming it on the continuing agitation by the opposition parties, spearheaded by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee.

Addressing the media after meeting with Chief Minister Budhadeb Bhattacharjee, Ratan Tata, however, said that Nano will come out as per the committed time.

“Nano will come on time. We will make make-shift arrangements to meet the deadline,” Tata said. “There was little choice but to move out of Singur, he said.

The move has been prompted after taking into account issues such as well-being of its employees at the project and safety of contractors as well as that of its vendors. The persisting agitation by the opposition parties has been the sole reason behind the decision to pull out the project, he said.

The company is exploring offers from three-four states about the new site of the project and the new location would be announced soon, Tata said. “I am extremely pained. It has been an extremely painful decision. It has been a great disappointment for the people working on the ground, more than me,” Tata said.

Talking about the vendors of the project, he said, “I think vendors will also move with us. They are an integral part of the project. We will try to protect the interest of the vendors.”

On the process of acquiring land for the Nano project, he said, “To the best of my knowledge, the land was acquired legally... it was done transparently and the compensation was based fairly.” “We have not been a party to any land dispute. It is between the West Bengal government and the Trinamool Congress,” he added.

Talking about the future association of Tatas with the state, he said the group already has considerable presence in the state and would open a cancer hospital in the next few months. — PTI