Governor feels issue will be solved

Statesman News Service

KOLKATA, Oct. 2: Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi today expressed hope that the Singur impasse would be resolved soon, ahead of the chief minister’s meeting with the chairman of the Tata Sons, Mr Ratan Tata, to be held tomorrow. The managing director of Tata Motors, Mr Ravi Kant, and the state commerce and industries minister, Mr Nirupam Sen, would be present in the meeting as well. The Governor, who spoke to newsmen after paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Barrackpore Gandhi ghat, said the statement made by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh yesterday on the Singur impasse was a positive one. “The people desire and deserve a solution of the Singur problem and like the Prime Minister I am hopeful of a solution,” said the Governor who had mediated the talks between the state and the Trinamul Congress to resolve the impasse. Meanwhile, amidst fears that Tata Motors would withdraw the Nano project from Singur, formally declaring their intention to the chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee tomorrow, the state government too is making preparations before sitting across the table with Tata Motors. Prior to his meeting with Mr Ratan Tata, Mr Bhattacharjee would chair a meeting with the commerce and industries minister, Mr Nirupam Sen and the land and land reforms minister, Mr Abdur Rezzak Mollah, apparently on vested land in North Bengal which can be taken up for tourism projects. However, the issue of the status of the land acquired by the Tatas is likely to come up as well, particularly in case Tata Motors decides to withdraw the project. The land has been leased out to the company for 99 years. The state government has maintained that the acquired land cannot be returned to the farmers even if the project is withdrawn. “In case the Tatas decide to back out from Singur it would lead to several legal complications between them and the state government,” said an official at Writers’ Buildings. (END) Source: The Statesman.
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