By Falguni Banerjee
SINGUR: For the thousands of people in Singur who had got employment in some way or the other in the Nano plant, the consequences of a Tata pullout are obvious. But even for thousands of others who had nothing to do directly with the Nano project, the economic fallout will be terrible. For, lives here have become inextricably linked with the Nano. Take for example, Bimal Nandi, a local spice trader. With restaurants supplying hundreds of meals to workers at the plant site, Nandi’s offtake had spiralled in recent months. Against eight people employed at his unit a year ago, there are now 25. However, ever since Mamata Banerjee began her campaign on August 24, business has nose-dived and orders cancelled. ‘‘If the Tata factory comes up and thousands get employment, the order for meals will be huge. I may have to employ 100-120 youths,’’ he said. ‘‘While fearing the worst, we are hoping for the best. There’s still a lot of time for production to commence. But we are already benefiting from the project,’’ said Nandi. For Shyamal Das, a vegetable seller at Singur Bazaar, life hasn’t changed as dramatically. But there’s been one perceptible difference. With overall sales shooting up, it has insulated farmers from being hit by the fluctuation in prices of one crop. ‘‘Singur block is primarily agriculture-based. Till last year, a sharp drop in price of a crop like potato would hit farmers hard. It would mean distress sales, failure to repay loans and losses. By this time, gloom would have set in and the Puja ruined. But not so this year despite a decline in potato price. That’s because the overall basket size has increased,’’ he said. The 40 banana trees in his backyard are proving a huge blessing. He is selling the fruit at Rs 1.50 to Rs 2 a piece at the Singur station. A year ago, 200 bananas fetched a meagre Rs 20 during a bumper harvest. ‘‘Whether we like it or not, our fortunes now depend on the project,’’ said Krishna Ghosh who has been recruited in the Tatas’ medical unit. For those involved in the project, it’s a windfall. ‘‘As the days progress, our earnings will increase,’’ said construction material supplier Swarup Barui. His business has exploded ever since the factory construction began. He still hopes to clock a small success story, building houses for executives after the factory is completed. Tanmay Nandi from Howrah has set up an eatery beside the Tarakeswar-Baidyabati road to capitalize on the opportunity. ‘‘Till Saturday, I got regular orders of Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000 from Toor India, one of the ancillary units setting up shop in Singur.’’ Though sales have plunged since the agitation began on Sunday, he knows business will pick up once the factory becomes operational. In 2005, he had purchased 40 cottahs at Rs 1 lakh a cottah to set up a fuel station. Then, the Tata Motors factory came along. ‘‘It has already been a windfall. Now, the land price has shot up to Rs 4 lakh a cottah,’’ he says. Over the past six months, Ashok Guchait’s store retailing prepaid cellphone cards has changed dramatically. Located next to Kamarkundu, the station after Singur, it has grown from 50 sq ft to 200 sq ft. Business has zoomed. (END) Source: Times of India
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