KOLKATA, Sept. 18: In an interesting development, more than 150 farmers of Singur who had given their land voluntarily for the Nano project have submitted applications to the block development officer expressing their willingness to return their compensation cheques and get their land back.Mr Prasenjit Chakraborty, BDO, Singur confirmed to The Statesman: "I have received their applications. They want to get their land back by submitting (returning) their compensation cheques."The applications have been forwarded to the district magistrate Hooghly, Mrs Neelam Meena, and authorities of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC). The applicants have not given any reasons in their applications as to what prompted them to ask for their land back from the state government. Singur Krishi Jomi Raksha Committee members alleged that these farmers had been forced to part with their plots for the project by CPI-M cadres two years ago. The CPI-M, on the other hand, came up with a counter allegation, that Trinamul Congress cadres are pressuring willing farmers to submit applications to block authorities demanding return of land. Meanwhile, the state government's initiatives to end the Singur deadlock by offering a lucrative package to unwilling farmers suffered a setback after a majority of farmers refused to accept the government's new offer.Reports available to Singur block office states that only six out of more than 2,000 unwilling farmers of Singur have accepted the fresh rehabilitation package which the state government had announced on 14 September. The package was announced to pacify unwilling farmers who have been waging a war to reoccupy their plots.According to Mr Chakraborty, only six unwilling farmers have submitted application to the district magistrate stating that they don't have any objection to part with their land for the Nano project if compensation, as stated in the fresh package, is provided to them. "The package was expected to attract agitating farmers who have been spearheading a movement against the state government for the last three years for 'forcibly' taking away their land. But it has failed to convince agitating farmers," said another block official. Having realised that the fresh package has failed to attract agitating farmers, local CPI-M leaders have been mobilising cadres to convince unwilling farmers.
Tata claim
A statement by Tata Motors today said 17 farmers who lost their lands in Singur to make way for its car plant have applied for the new rehabilitation package announced by the West Bengal government. (END) Source : The Statesman
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