People betrayed , alleges Mamata

" State government went back on gentleman's agreement"
By Raktima Bose
SINGUR: “We will throw the rehabilitation package [for farmers whose land was acquired for the Tata Motors project] of the Left Front government into the dustbin,” declared Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at a rally here on Tuesday.
The rally was held a day after the Left Front organised a procession here in support of the new package.
Ms. Banerjee accused the government of “betraying” the people by going back on the “gentleman’s agreement” arrived at with the Opposition in Kolkata on September 7 in the presence of Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi. She reiterated her demand for the return of 300 acres within the project area to farmers from whom the land was “forcibly acquired.”
“We do not support the package and will decide on our future course of action after discussion with the Governor on September 19,” Ms. Banerjee said. Her next move could lead to a resumption of the agitation that was suspended following the consensus reached at the September 7 meeting.
The Trinamool leader pointed out that the package was a “unilateral decision,” which was made without consulting her party or the Governor.
She said: “We agreed to discuss the matter with the government because the Governor requested us to do so; it is the first time in 30 years of the Left Front rule that the government entered into a deal with the Opposition in the presence of the Governor and that has been dishonoured by it.”
The scene at the rally venue, by the side of the Durgapur Expressway opposite the Tata Motors small car factory site, was reminiscent of the one of the Trinamool “siege” of the project area.
“I am not opposed to the Tata plant. The main plant can be set up on 600 acres and the ancillary units on 100 acres, but we want the rest 300 acres back at any cost,” Ms. Banerjee asserted.
Her statement, “If the government cannot solve the problem, it should quit,” drew loud cheers.
Ms. Banerjee presented three ‘unwilling’ farmers on the dais in response to the claims of the Left Front leaders here on Monday that most such farmers are willing to accept the new package. However, five farmers who had not yet received compensation, filed petitions at the district magistrate’s office to avail themselves of the new package. (END) Source: The Hindu

Unwilling turn willing

Landlosers warm to new offer
By IMRAN AHMED SIDDIQUI

Singur, Sept. 16: A trickle of consent letters from “unwilling farmers” has started in Singur.
Five of them wrote to district magistrate Neelam Meena today, saying they were ready to give up their land for the Tata Motors project and collect their cheques.
“We made up our mind after considering the government’s revised package,” Sambhu Ghosh of Madhapara in Beraberi told The Telegraph.
The Ghoshes had been part of the Singur agitation since their half an acre was acquired for the Nano plant two years ago. The family used to grow three crops on the plot.
“We didn’t have any land except the 1.5 bighas and felt outraged when it was acqui- red. So, we joined the anti-acquisition movement. Our intention was only to get a better deal. Now we feel it is unwise to drag on with the agitation,” Sambhu said.
Sambhu, his mother and three brothers jointly owned the plot. One of his sisters-in-law and his mother sent their consent today. “My other brother is not here but he will also do so,” said Sambhu.
His 70-year-old mother Monibala said: “We were weighing the pros and cons after reading about the new package in the papers. We had wanted a rise in compensation and are very happy now.”
Sambhu works in a sweet shop in Liluah. His son Gopal studies in Class VIII at Beraberi High School.
“I want to join the Tata factory after doing an ITI course. The factory will create jobs for those like me and we want the Tatas to resume work as soon as possible,” the boy said.
Sambhu plans to build a house with his share. “My dream will be realised soon. Hopefully, my son will get employment in the factory. Then we will marry him off,” he said.
The new package promises 50 per cent more cash and preference in jobs.
Haradhan Chowdhury and Bidyut Das of Khasherbheri have also decided to collect their cheques.
“I like the new package,” said Haradhan. “I had joined the agitation as I wasn’t happy with the earlier amount.”
District magistrate Meena confirmed having received the letters.
An official at the block office said the administration was hopeful that more landlosers would collect their cheques in the next few days. They will get an additional 10 per cent for doing so by September 22.
Mamata show
Mamata Banerjee today presented three willing landlosers — Radheshyam Maity, 65, Shibram Panja, 60, and Aditya Panja, 55 — who had apparently accepted their compensation cheques.
“Now they want their land back by returning the cheques. I present them before you to counter the CPM’s move of bringing in an unwilling farmer to its rally yesterday,” she told her Singur rally. (END) Source: The Telegraph

State pressure on unwilling farmers

Statesman News Service

KOLKATA, Sept. 16: In a bid to put pressure on unwilling farmers, the state government would first disburse the compensation cheques still lying with the district collector and then place funds for disbursement of the additional fifty per cent compensation offered in the new rehabilitation package. The state government is yet to place the funds for paying enhanced compensation price of land with the district administration although unwilling farmers seeking to take compensation cheques before 22 September can do so as the funds are still lying with the collector. The industries secretary, Mr Sabyasachi Sen, said: ”The finance department is yet to release funds for the additional 50 per cent compensation but those who have not collected the cheques can do so as the fund is still with the district collector. WBIDC which would pay the additional 10 per cent has also given the funds at its disposal to the BDO for disbursement’’. However, another official of the same department clarified they would not place the additional amount till the district collector disburses the Rs 22 crore lying with it as unwilling farmers have not collected even the original amount of compensation since 2006. The wages for 300 days for landless labourers and unrecorded bargadars are kept with the BDO for disbursement. The state government would issue a separate government order to decide on the modalities of the package. The state commerce and industries minister, Mr Nirupam Sen along with secretary held a one and half hour long discussion with the chief minister right after the massive public rally at Singur held by the Trinamul Congress chief, Miss Mamata Banerjee. Mr Sabyasachi Sen said they were yet to receive any communication from Tata Motors. Incidentally, the state government is yet to communicate to the ancillaries about resuming work after they were asked to stop construction for a week according to the agreement between the state government and Trinamul chief. (END) Source: The Statesman

Tata Motors hails initiative

By Special Correspondent
KOLKATA: The Tata Motors authorities have supported the initiatives announced by the West Bengal government for the residents of the Singur area, where it has acquired land for its small car-manufacturing project.
The State government on Sunday, through advertisements in newspapers, made an “Offer of Rehabilitation Package for Project Affected Persons in Singur” to provide a sustainable economic alternative and additional monetary compensation to farmers whose land was acquired for the Nano project site that spans 997.11 acres.
This comes in the wake of discord between the government and the Trinamool Congress and its allies who have been demanding that 300 acres, allegedly acquired without consent from farmers who have not accepted compensation, be returned to the farmers.
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, at a meeting with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee here on September 12, expressed his government’s inability to provide more than 70 acres from the site as it did not want to disturb the integrated nature of the auto-cluster comprising the mother plant and the vendor park.
Besides the 70 acres, Mr. Bhattacharjee proposed a slew of measures incorporated in a package aimed at providing sustainable economic rehabilitation and attractive monetary compensation to all farmers whose land had been acquired. The meeting fell through.
At a public meeting in Burdwan on Sunday, he renewed his appeal to the Trinamool Congress and its allies to accept the package and sit for talks. “We do not want war. We want industry,” he said.
Tata Motors, in a statement, hoped that the government initiative “would evoke a positive response from the residents of Singur and that all stakeholders will contribute to create a congenial environment...” (END) Source : The Hindu

Trinamool calls for 'march to Singur'

By Special Correspondent
KOLKATA: The future of the Tata Motors project at Singur continues to remain under a cloud with leaders of both the ruling Left Front and the Trinamool Congress announcing here on Saturday programmes in support of their respective agendas in the area.
The Trinamool Congress has called for a “march to Singur” on September 16 and will wait till three days later (after Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who left the city, returns) to announce whether or not it will revive its agitation if the government fails to “abide by the gentleman’s agreement” to respond to demands of farmers who have not accepted compensation for their land acquired for the project.
The party and its allies had called off its 15-day siege of the project area on the night of September 7.
The Left Front has decided to launch a statewide campaign in support of the project from Sunday and to organise a rally at Singur on Monday in which senior Left leaders will be present.
A day after talks between Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee fell through, the Governor, in a statement, said that “given the will a solution can still be found in a manner that accords with the law.”
Mr. Gandhi said the solution could be arrived at in a manner that “safeguards the interests of farmers, of the small car factory and, going beyond, help in establishing the farm-factory balance that we so vitally need.”
“Through the Singur discussions on September 5, 6 and 7, I saw earnest participants showing a rare spirit of accommodation. That spirit needs to be operationalised,” the Governor said.
At an emergency meeting of Left Front leaders it was decided that not more than the 70 acres of land from within the project site area could be provided to farmers who have not taken compensation as had been suggested by the Chief Minister at his meeting with Ms. Banerjee on Friday.
An attractive monetary package had also been placed by Mr. Bhattacharjee at the meeting that included an extra 50 per cent of the compensation price to be given to all land-losers — both willing and unwilling.
Proposals for 300 days wage for unrecorded bargadars (share croppers) and wage labourers, government jobs to a member of each of the families who have given away land, with those who have taken training getting priority, are also among those incorporated in the package.
Ms. Banerjee described the proposals as “one-sided and unilateral” and reiterated her demand that the understanding arrived at between the two sides in the presence of the Governor on September 7 be “honoured by the State government.” (END) Source : The Hindu

Governor says

"Through the Singur discussions on September 5, 6 and 7, I saw earnest participants showing a rare spirit of accommodation. That spirit needs to be operationalised," a Raj Bhavan release said.Gandhi said, "Reason can be reasonable; passion dispassionate. I believe, given the will, a solution can still be found in a manner that accords with the law, safeguards the interests of farmers, of the small car factory and, going beyond, help in establishing the farm-factory balance that we vitally need." Invoking Rabindranath Tagore, the Governor said, "Jiban jakhan shukai jai karuna dharai esho”.

What a letdown!

Mamata rejects Buddha’s ‘best’ deal
By INDRANIL GHOSH
Calcutta, Sept. 12: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee this evening took to Mamata Banerjee a package offering more land inside the complex, higher compensation for landlosers, jobs and development projects.
All to no avail as Mamata played the same old record: 300 acres inside or nothing.
Efforts to save the Singur project are expected to continue tomorrow. However, unless both sides pull off a breakthrough soon, the Tatas are expected to make up their mind by Monday. Some equipment has already been shifted out of the factory, sources said.
“As far as I know, the Tatas have informed Nirupam (Sen) that they would decide whether to stay here or not by 14-15 September,’’ CPM state secretariat member Benoy Konar told The Telegraph.
A deal had looked tantalisingly close when Bhattacharjee and Mamata met at Calcutta Information Centre in the Nandan complex, the Trinamul leader carrying a jhola that made an ideal companion at the poet-chief minister’s favourite hangout.
However, one hour and five minutes later, an agitated Mamata marched out, followed sometime later by an ashen-faced Bhattacharjee.
In between, Bhattacharjee offered Mamata 67 acres inside the Nano complex — 47 belonging to the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) and 20 from space reserved for a pond meant to meet environment rules. The Tatas agreed to spare the patch after officials got in touch with them.

The chief minister also put on the table what officials described as “India’s best rehabilitation” package .
However, her gaze fixed on the coming elections, Mamata said she would not settle for anything less than 300 acres inside the project and another 100 acres outside.
When Mamata kept repeating “300 acres”, one of the government representatives asked: “What is the point in dragging the negotiations?”
Realising on her way out that she might have pushed the government a little too far this time, Mamata said: “We can always meet and talk again.”
After the meeting, the chief minister conveyed to governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi the outcome and Mamata’s intransigence.
Gandhi and Bhattacharjee are expected to meet tomorrow, after which a delegation from Trinamul will call on the governor with whom Mamata spoke before setting out for the session with the chief minister. The Left Front will also meet tomorrow to review the situation.
The meeting between Bhattacharjee and Mamata — the third since the maiden one this Sunday and the first without a minder like governor Gandhi — came about without notice.
The groundwork for the evening meeting was laid by housing minister Gautam Deb and Trinamul legislature wing leader Partha Chatterjee who met for close to two hours at Deb’s office in Salt Lake. Industries minister Nirupam Sen, Trinamul’s pet hate, did not attend any meeting today, apparently because he was “unwell”.

Once their session on how best the two sides could advance towards an agreement came to an end, Deb and Chatterjee informed their respective leaders of the need for a discussion on plausible areas of consensus.
Before calling the chief minister, Deb, according to CPM sources, had a long talk with Mamata during which she showed enthusiasm for the package.
A source quoted Mamata as telling a Trinamul leader present in the room: “It seems they have formulated a workable solution. If they are able to accommodate my main demand (land-based rehabilitation inside the project) in some way, I should not be having any problem in extending my co-operation.”
Caught by surprise by the “about-turn” at the meeting, Trinamul sources offered two explanations.
One, Mamata assumed that she could extract more from Bhattacharjee. Two, they blamed some associates and fringe groups who apparently told Mamata she stood to reap dividends if the issue was kept alive till the Lok Sabha elections.
The CPM reacted with dismay. “I was informed by Buddhababu that the meeting collapsed,” said state CPM secretary Biman Bose. “It’s an unfortunate development. I do not want to give up hope, but it is evident they (Trinamul) do not want to co-operate.”
Another senior CPM leader said: “It’s better if she realises soon that the government does not have infinite patience.”
WITH INPUTS FROM BISWAJIT ROY AND SAMBIT SAHA

Source : The Telegraph

Tatas get court gag on car agreement

Calcutta, Sept. 12: Calcutta High Court today restrained the state government and the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation from making public the agreement signed with Tata Motors on the Singur project.
“The stay will be operative for 15 days and the case will come up for hearing on September 19,” Justice Dipankar Dutta said in an interim order on a Tata Motors petition.
The company demanded the stay after the WBIDC posted the text of the agreement on its website on a direction from the state information commission, which had received a Right to Information (RTI) Act plea for such disclosure.
Section 11(1) of the act, however, says that when a third party — other than the RTI petitioner and the government — is involved, a submission from it is needed before any information can be revealed, said legal expert Satadal Chatterjee, who specialises on the RTI Act.
The legal action by the Tatas, the third party in this instance, suggests they were not consulted before the text was made public. There was, however, no confirmation from either side.
Tata Motors lawyer Samaraditya Pal argued before the court that the state information commission had violated the RTI Act by asking the state to display the agreement.
“According to the act, my client has the right to keep the agreement secret because it is related with its trade,” Pal said. Other than the state information commissioner, the state government and the WBIDC have been made respondents in the case.
Pal said: “The agreement was signed on March 9, 2007. It was decided the copy of the agreement would not be made public. But the state information commission, in an order dated September 8, asked the government to display the agreement.”
The court asked the lawyer what good it would do to have the text withdrawn now, since it had already been on display. Pal replied that the WBIDC had not displayed the “secret part” of the agreement yet.
“But it is our apprehension that this part of the agreement will be displayed, too.”
Industries secretary Sabyasachi Sen said he was not aware of the court order.
The government had read out the agreement to a House standing committee on August 27. Industries minister Nirupam Sen had then said a copy could not be handed over without the Tatas’ consent.
“According to the RTI Act, a document where a third party is involved can’t be made public without their consent,” Sen had said.
The RTI petition was moved by Amitava Chowdhury, a Calcutta resident.(END) Source: The Telegraph

Stage set for Siege II in factory demand

Singur, Sept. 12: Singur residents owing allegiance to the CPM have decided to launch an indefinite dharna outside the Tata site from tomorrow seeking immediate resumption of work at the plant.
Their camps, however, will not block Durgapur Expressway as Mamata Banerjee’s 15-day siege had.
About 200 villagers, including young Tata trainees, day labourers engaged in the project and those supplying construction materials, today gathered around 50m from the highway for a public meeting addressed by local CPM leaders.
“At least 5,000 people were earning their livelihood from the project. That is why we want work to start immediately,” said Balai Sabui, the party’s Hooghly secretariat member.
“We want the plant to work normally from Monday. We will launch our dharna tomorrow and continue until work resumes. But we will not block the highway,” Sabui added.
The camps will be set up at Ratanpur and Joymollah, at the two ends of the plant along the expressway.
The CPM MLA from Arambagh, Benoy Dutta, led a procession of about 200 villagers that went around Joymollah before converging at the rally site.
Srimanta Pakhira, 36, of Joymollah, who used to earn about Rs 100 a day working as a labourer at the project, said: “We are in dire straits. That is why we have decided to sit on a dharna until the resumption of work.”
Rabin Santra, 44, member of a syndicate that supplied bricks, sand and stone chips to the project, said: “The contractor owes me about Rs 10 lakh. The suspension of work was declared before my payment was cleared. Without the project, our future is bleak.”
Bikash Pakhira, 30, a trainee at the Nano plant, said: “We have a social commitment. We are fighting for the economic uplift of Singur.”
On Wednesday, Joymollah farmers who had willingly given their plots for the project had said they would not allow redistribution of their land among the unwilling farmers. (END) Source : The Telegraph

Now, Singur row over 100 acres

Statesman News Service

KOLKATA, Sept. 11: The state government is prepared to provide to the unwilling farmers of Singur 100 acres of land ~ 40 acres from within the project area and the rest from outside. But the Trinamul Congress wants all the 100 acres within the project area, an official of the state industries department said today. “In order to save the project we are willing to buy around 50-60 acres outside the project area. We are ready to part with the 40 acres within the project site still with the WBIDC. But the Opposition members are seeking 100 acres within the project site,” the official said. However, the Trinamul Congress representatives on the committee set up for locating land within Tatas small car project area and outside claimed they could identify 300 acres within the project area that could be returned to the unwilling farmers. The two other members of the committee ~ Mr Subrata Gupta, managing director, WBIDC and Ms Neelam Meena, district magistrate, Hooghly, weren't convinced by the Trinamul's position. After a three-hour long meeting, the Trinamul MLA, Mr Rabindranath Bhattacharjee, said: ”We visited the project area yesterday and have identified about 300 acres of land from the project area that could be returned to the unwilling farmers. Today we showed to the DM and MD these areas with the help of a map. ‘’ Later in the evening, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Partha Chatterjee, met the Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi to apprise him of the progress of the committee's work in locating land. Mr Chatterjee complained to the Governor that the industries minister had adopted an inflexible attitude since the accord between the state government and the Trinamul-led Opposition was reached at Raj Bhavan. “Such an attitude is becoming a stumbling block in resolving the dispute,” he said. The Trinamul MLA, however, said the committee’s session during the day was held in a cordial atmosphere. If necessary, time would be extended and an interim report would be submitted to the Governor, he said. The Trinamul representatives gave some proposals to the state government, he added.The CPI-M Politburo member, Mr Sitaram Yechury, who visited Mr Jyoti Basu at a city nursing home, said a way out of the Singur impasse would definitely be found after the committee set up for determining the modalities for locating land from within the project site and adjacent areas completed its work. He hoped the committee would reach a satisfactory conclusion. Another Politburo member, Mrs Brinda Karat, said the Trinamul’s insistence that 300 acres would have to be given from within the project area to the unwilling farmers was “not in keeping with the spirit of the discussion at Raj Bhavan.” (END) Source: The Statesman

Trinamool Congress proposal unacceptable to government

By Marcus Dam
However, it will consider returning some land from within the car project area
KOLKATA: The West Bengal government has reportedly not accepted the proposal of the Trinamool Congress to provide 300 acres from the Tata Motors’ project area at Singur to farmers who have not received compensation.
It is, however, looking into the possibility of arranging for returning some land from within the project area as well as from outside.
“The government has not accepted our demand [return of 300 acres from within the site area],” Rabindranath Bhattacharya said. He is a representative of the Trinamool Congress in the committee set up to ascertain the scope and settle the modalities for returning land to farmers from both within and outside the site area.
Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee, who has been representing the party in talks over the past few days with Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi called on the latter at Raj Bhavan in the evening.
“We still believe that 300 acres can be identified for handing back to farmers from within the project site area”, Mr Bhattacharya told journalists after the committee met for the second time in three days. Further talks will take place on Friday.
The government spoke of the difficulties in returning the land from within the project area as that would infringe on the site earmarked for the project’s auto-cluster.
It has assured the Tata Motors’ authorities that the integrated nature of the auto-cluster, comprising the mother plant and a vendor park, will be kept intact while considering the issue of return of land to the farmers who have not received compensation.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said here: “we are hopeful that the committee is working towards a solution” to the stalemate over return of a section of the land to farmers.
Denying any differences within the party on the Singur issue, he said a solution was urgently needed “for the future of Bengal and the prosperity of its people”. (END) Source : The Hindu

Day labourers decry Singur cease-work

By Sabyasachi Roy

KOLKATA, Sept. 10: The agreement between the state government and the representatives of the Paschim Banga Krishi Jomi Jiban Jibika Raksha Committee might have encouraged the unwilling farmers of Singur but the future of 3,000 people engaged as day labourers in the ancillary units remains uncertain. Following the agreement between the state government and the Trinamul Congress, the ancillary units were asked to put construction work on hold for a week. After this, all ancillary units located inside the project area have stopped construction work, leaving these day labourers in deep trouble. More than 2,000 workers from Talbhomra, Singher Bheri, Kasher Bheri, Gopal Nagar, Bera Beri, Bajemelia and Joymollah were engaged as day labourers by some 33 ancillary units, which had started construction work. These people used to get Rs 70-110 as daily wages, depending on their nature of work. They were paid every weekend. With the suspension of work, the day labourers have virtually become jobless. Mr Anupam Koley from Koleypara said about 700 people of Singur were employed in the ancillary units. They were treated as group-D staff as they had to carry out loading, unloading and other work. “The people engaged as group-D staff by the ancillary units belong to the families of willing farmers and sharecroppers (bargadars). Around 2,300 people were engaged on contract basis by the contractors. They were mainly engaged in plantation and digging of soil. Some were also engaged as masons, labourers, and carpenters,” he added. The labourers have been jobless since the dharna started. They were not paid from the last week of August as all the companies closed their offices from 2 September when the Tatas announced the cease-work, said Mr Sandip Das from Bera Beri. Even people who belong to the families of unwilling farmers have experienced the same problem. Mr Santhosh Das, whose father refused to give up his farmland for the Tata project, said: “Our farmland was acquired and we had lost our job as agricultural labourers over the past three years. As the project started here, many of us got the opportunity to earn but now all of us are jobless.” (END) Source : The Statesman

State , Trinamool at odds over land to be returned

By Special Correspondent
Kolkata: The West Bengal government and the Trinamool Congress continue to be at odds over the acreage of land within the Tata project site at Singur that could be handed back to farmers who have not received compensation.
Underpinning their differences are their contrasting interpretations of the consensus arrived at Sunday’s talks, chaired by Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and in which Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee participated.
It was agreed then that the government would respond to the demand of those farmers who had not received compensation “by means of land to be provided to the maximum within the project area and the rest in adjacent areas as early as possible.”
The Trinamool camp insists that the phrase “maximum within the project area” implies that the chunk of 400 acres, which the party wants returned to the farmers from whom land was acquired “forcibly,” will be provided from within the project site.
The government’s stand is that only after keeping intact the auto-cluster, comprising the mother plant and the vendor park, can a maximum extent of land from the remaining area within the site be considered for handing back to the farmers as is suggested in Sunday’s consensus.
Meanwhile, the committee, set up with representatives of both sides to “ascertain the scope and settle the modalities” of providing land to the farmers, visited the project site on Wednesday to see for itself how much land might be available within the project area.
Trinamool MLA and committee member Rabindranath Bhattacharya later said vacant land available within the site would add up to about 300 acres.
Mr. Bhattacharya said the government representatives on the committee, at its first meeting here on Tuesday, had stated that 40 acres could be provided from within the project area. The government officials also said another 50 acres could be made available from outside the site, he said.
The committee will reconvene here on Thursday for further discussions. (END) Source: The Hindu

Came, saw & didn't concur

Trinamul finds 300 acres, govt 40
By KINSUK BASU


Singur, Sept. 10: Becharam Manna, the Trinamul land scout, cast a critical eye on the half-finished power plant in a corner of the Singur complex and wondered aloud.
“Can’t this be dismantled and the land recovered…?”
Neelam Meena, the Hooghly district magistrate, politely reminded him: “Please think before you make such a statement, Mr Manna. Half of the construction is over. So, how can you say this?”
And thus proceeded the spot-the-land reality show inside the Singur car complex: the Trinamul team finding almost every piece of vacant land suitable for rehabilitating farmers and the government representatives trying to explain how the stretch has already been factored in.
At the end of the two-and-a-half-hour hunt, this is what each team brought to the table — Trinamul: 300 acres could be found inside the complex; government: 40 acres.
The two teams — part of the committee that is looking at ways to implement the Sunday “agreement” — are expected to meet again tomorrow.
But an air of futility is already gathering around the exercise with sources in the government fearing that a phase of festering impasse — Mamata keeping up her rhetoric without reviving the siege and the Tatas refusing to resume work — could set in.
The fear — described by some as the “worst outcome in a bad situation” — could come true if the committee fails to resolve the key issues by Monday when it is expected to file its report. The lone silver lining during the day was Mamata’s silence, probably intended at not queering the pitch while the panel is at work.
Trinamul team leader and Singur MLA Rabindranath Bhattacharya declared after the site survey that “if the state government wants, maximum land can be given from the project area itself. This could amount to around 300 acres”.
The reply came soon enough. In Calcutta, industries secretary Sabyasachi Sen said: “The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) has about 40 acres inside the project area which the government can think of giving back, though I don’t know in which form that is possible. Besides that, I don’t think any quantum of land more than 40 acres inside the project area can be returned as of now.”
Asked whether land not occupied so far by ancillary units can be given back, Sen said: “The committee found that land meant for the vendors had been developed by dumping fly ash in several places. That means many ancillary units are preparing to set up shop. Some have also adopted a wait-and-watch approach as the Tatas have suspended work. So, it’s a difficult question as to whether ancillaries can be relocated. The integrated nature of the project is to be maintained in order to economise costs.”
Other officials said the seven-foot-high fly-ash layer had already made the land uncultivable.
Manna betrayed no sign that he was aware of such limitations as he bounded from one vacant spot to another, accompanied by WBIDC managing director Subrata Gupta, Meena and Bhattacharya.
At one point, baking in the sun, Meena and Bhattacharya paused under the shade for a few minutes. But not Manna, who ensured that Gupta accompanied him.
Government sources said they were given to understand that the Trinamul team expressed “surprise” at the advanced stage of work. The members apparently said they did not realise from outside how much work had been done.
“But will they have the freedom to give such an assessment to Mamata?” an official wondered. The team briefed Mamata in the evening. (END)

Ex-judge statement
Raj Bhavan today said Chittatosh Mookerjee had conveyed to the governor that The Telegraph report on Wednesday “does not correctly represent” what the former chief justice had told the paper on Tuesday night.
“I had said that the agreement signed by both sides speaks for itself. It was felt that there ought to be land-based settlement and some lands in and around the project area could be released/returned. As yet, there has been no agreement regarding the actual area to be returned/given either from within the project area or outside,” a Raj Bhavan statement issued in the evening quoted the legal adviser as saying.
Mamata Banerjee has been saying that it was agreed “300 acres” would be returned from within the project. The statement issued by Raj Bhavan today makes it clear that no agreement had been reached on the quantum of land.
On Wednesday, The Telegraph had quoted Mookerjee as saying: “I was present at Sunday’s meeting between the chief minister and Mamata Banerjee. There it was decided that a few acres of land from within the project area would be given to the farmers who have not yet collected the cheques, but there was no talk of 300 acres.” ( END) Source: The Telegraph

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Govt. Oppn differ on vacant land

Statesman News Service

KOLKATA/SINGUR, Sept.10: While the Opposition members of the committee formed to determine the modalities for locating maximum land within the project area and adjacent claimed today that there are ample vacant, arable land in the vendors' park which could be returned to the unwilling farmers at Singur, the state government maintained that land filling exercises have already been completed in most of these plots by the ancillary units. The four-member committee today inspected the project site at Singur. Following the visit, two Trinamul Congress representatives on the committee ~ Mr Rabindranath Bhattacharjee and Mr Becharam Manna ~ briefed Miss Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamul Congress chief, and discussed their next course of action. Later Mr Manna said: “We have identified about 250 acres of land within the project area of which 80 per cent are still cultivable as the character of the land is yet to be altered. We have identified vast stretches of vacant land in Joymollah, Sahapara and Gopalnagar areas within the project area.” Mr Subrata Gupta, MD, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and the government representative on the committee, briefed the chief minister and industries secretary, Mr Sabyasachi Sen, about their progress. Mr Sen categorically denied the presence of such arable plots. “The MD told me that in most plots the ancillary units have begun land filling exercise with fly-ash being dumped to raise the level of the ground as the land is quite low lying, even if they have not started constructing the sheds. There is little land which can be termed as vacant,” said Mr Sen. The government maintains only 40 acre land can be provided while keeping the project intact. The secretary also added once the quantum of land is identified by the committee it would seek legal advice to decide on the modalities for providing this land to the land losing families. The committee would again meet tomorrow. Miss Banerjee is preparing a dossier on Hindustan Motors where the entire unit is thriving on 410 acres. According to Miss Banerjee, Hindustan Motors is a labour intensive unit with a staff strength of 4,500 but Nano, being a more sophisticated car should require much less area than Hindustan Motors. Meanwhile, a section of landlosers who willingly gave their lands for the vendors’ park have opposed the move to give back land to unwilling farmers. “We have given our land solely for the Tata factory. We wouldn’t allow our land to be given to those who opposed the project,” said Sheikh Sohrab Ali, whose family has given up 25 bighas of land.. On the other hand, over a thousand supporters of the CPI (ML-Liberation) took out a rally in Singur demanding compensation for agricultural labourers and unrecorded sharecroppers of the acquired area. (END) Source : The Statesman

No talk of 300 acres: Adviser

Ex-judge sets the record straight

By BARUN GHOSH
Calcutta, Sept. 9: The legal adviser to the governor has told The Telegraph that “there was no talk of 300 acres” at the meeting between Mamata Banerjee and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday.
“I was present at Sunday’s meeting between the chief minister and Mamata Banerjee. There it was decided that a few acres of land from within the project area would be given to the farmers who have not yet collected the cheques, but there was no talk of 300 acres,” former chief justice Chittatosh Mookerjee said tonight.
The revelation, which contradicts Mamata’s claim that prompted the Tatas to seek a clarification from the government and keep work suspended at Singur, is certain to add to the mounting pressure on the Trinamul Congress leader to defuse the crisis.
Mamata’s interaction with Jyoti Basu and the reluctance of her party to get involved with the hunt for alternative land outside the Singur complex have fuelled speculation that she might not be averse to scaling down her demands.
“Even in the resolution, the word ‘maximum’ has been mentioned as the maximum possible that could be handed over at the project site. If both sides take extreme positions, then the matter will never be resolved,” Mookerjee, who provided legal assistance during the talks, added.
Mamata has been insisting that the Sunday statement — which mentions “land to be provided to the maximum within the project area” — meant most of the allotment would be from inside the complex.
A few hours before Mookerjee’s disclosure, a Raj Bhavan official said governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi was “pained” at the way the spirit of the agreement was being “misinterpreted”.
“The Opposition claim that most of the land in the rehabilitation package would come from within the project area goes against the spirit of the agreement and the governor is pained by its misinterpretation,” the official said.
Gandhi today met Mookerjee and state advocate-general Balai Ray separately, apparently to seek views on how to clear the air. Chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb and home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti apprised the governor of the outcome of the first meeting of a four-member committee on Singur land.
“The governor was told that two members of the committee (Trinamul representatives Rabindranath Bhattacharya and Becharam Manna ) were insisting on the return of 300 acres of land from within the project site,” an official said.
Sources said the relevant sentence in the first draft was “to the maximum extent possible” but the word “possible”, which would have precluded any ambiguity, was dropped on the Opposition’s insistence.
Trinamul leader Partha Chatterjee, one of the signatories of the statement, refused either to confirm or deny the version. “There were so many drafts and so many changes. I don’t know whether there was any such word or not. What matters now is that the government agreed to the final draft,” Chatterjee said.
Sensing a minefield ahead, Trinamul today sought to cry off the land hunt. The agreement requires the party to “co-operate” with the government in finding land inside and outside the Singur complex for rehabilitation of landlosers.
But Bhattacharya, the Trinamul MLA from Singur, and Manna, the leader of the Save Farmland Committee, said neither the party nor the resistance outfit would assume the responsibility. “Acquiring or securing land cannot be our job,” said Bhattacharya. “It’s the government’s job.” Manna echoed the sentiments.
The two know well that seeking to find land in Singur will be akin to playing with fire, especially with prices going through the roof and potential sellers biding their time to make a bigger killing.
The duo also made it clear to the rest of the panel members that their brief was to “go through” the papers and “not to sign anything”, lending credence to a perception that Mamata had deliberately put lightweights on the committee. “In the event of unfavourable findings, she can always say the party nominees could not present their case properly,” a Trinamul leader said.(END) Source: The Telegraph

Bedside diplomacy
By BISWAJIT ROY AND INDRANIL GHOSH
Calcutta, Sept. 9: An ailing Jyoti Basu’s bedside has offered the CPM an unlikely venue to request Mamata Banerjee to take a “reasonable stand” on the Singur controversy.
The patriarch also reportedly requested the Trinamul leader to “sort out the problems amicably” when she called on the ailing leader in the intensive care unit of a city hospital.
After the interaction, a CPM leader said: “We got the impression that she would not stick to her claim of 300 acres. She, too, knows very well that it would be difficult to convince the Tatas to give up a substantial part of the land meant for ancillary units. We hope that the hiccups will be cleared by this week.”
A Trinamul leader said: “She also told Jyotibabu that he is not to worry, things would be sorted out soon.” The Trinamul source refused to say whether Mamata was referring to Basu’s health or the Singur impasse.
In view of the informal contact with the Mamata camp, the CPM postponed a meeting of the Left Front, slated for this evening, sources said.
Mamata wished Basu a speedy recovery and presented him a bouquet of flowers. Opposition leader Partha Chatterjee, who signed the Sunday Singur agreement on behalf of Trinamul, accompanied her.
“I pray for your recovery. Get well soon. The country’s politics still needs you,’’ Chatterjee quoted Mamata as telling Basu. He said Basu and Mamata spoke to each other for a few minutes but declined to divulge what transpired.
CPM sources said the patriarch thanked her for calling on him and also for talking to chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Singur. “Both of you should be in contact to solve the land issue and ensure that the Tata project stays in Bengal,’’ a CPM leader quoted Basu as saying.
“Amra 67-68-e esab korechi. Ekhon apnara korchen (We have done these things in 1967-68, today you are doing this),” Basu reminded Mamata, apparently referring to the militant peasant movement.
But, as in the dispute over the word “maximum” in the Singur agreement, Trinamul had a different version. “Amra to 68 theke chalacchi. Ekhon tomra koro (We are running the government from 1968. Now it is your turn).” This is how a Trinamul leader quoted Basu, referring to the United Front government.
“My days are coming to an end,” Basu told Mamata with a smile. “Now it’s the turn of younger people like you.”
Moved, Mamata told Basu: “Please don’t say things that make us sad.”
She re-arranged the pillows, helping the veteran to recline against them. “Why is it that you do not allow an attendant in your room, why do you go to the bathroom on your own?” Mamata said, drawing another smile from Basu.
Mamata sought Basu’s permission to bring in a few more visitors. Basu nodded and smiled again when he saw Samir Putatunda, who was once with the CPM and now a Trinamul ally, and his wife trooping in. “Why, they were all with us till sometime back, then went away one day,” Basu said.
He also greeted Purnendu Bose, a Naxalite member of the Save Farmland Committee. “Oh, you too,” Basu said. (END) Source : The Telegraph

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Tata keeps up pressure on state

Wipro undeterred by Singur

Statesman News Service

KOLKATA, Sept. 9: Tata Motors today categorically told the state government that they should be informed of any future agreement on Singur which is “contrary” to what had been agreed upon earlier between them. In a letter to the state industries minister, Mr Nirupam Sen, the Tata Motors MD, Mr Ravi Kant, stated that they had “noted” the clarification by the state government that the integrated nature of the auto cluster with both the mother plant and ancillary units would be maintained. The letter read out by Mr Sen to newsmen stated: “The government should not take any steps to disturb this arrangement.” The Tata Motors MD, Mr Ravi Kant, went on to add: “We would like to be clearly told of any future agreement, understanding and commitment contrary to this arrangement which would result in not honouring those earlier commitments (the agreement between Tata Motors and the state government).” Although prior to the talks, Mr Ratan Tata, in a letter to the Governor, had explained his stand, the company was taken aback by the agreement between the state government and the Opposition which said maximum land would be provided within the project area, forcing them to seek clarifications. Mr Sen had been compelled to clarify yesterday that the project would be kept intact, ruling out any relocation of the ancillary units. On the other hand, the four-member committee, set up to determine the modalities for locating maximum land within the project area and the balance from adjacent areas to be given to the unwilling farmers whose land was acquired without their consent, held its first sitting during the day. Representatives of the Trinamul-led Opposition included in the committee stuck to their demands that 300 acres from within the project area be “returned” to the unwilling farmers. However, the industries minister described the meeting as “positive”. Mr Rabindranath Bhattacharya, the Trinamul MLA for Singur, said: “The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. We have specifically demanded that about 300 acres of land from within the project area should be returned to the farmers. We will hold discussions again after inspecting the project site tomorrow. “But we have made it clear that maximum land should be given to the farmers from within the project area,” he added. (END)

Wipro undeterred by Singur

By Tyagaraj Sharma

BANGALORE, Sept. 9: Bogged down by the ongoing controversy over the Tata Motors project at Singur, the beleaguered West Bengal chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, has found something to cheer about amidst the gloom enveloping him.For, undeterred by the prophets of doom and the consequent concern expressed by the industry in general over the negative fallout of Singur on the state's investment climate, Wipro Limited, which is set to expand its operations in West Bengal, has shown that it remains unfazed.According to a company statement, Wipro Limited has a presence in West Bengal and it will continue with its operations and plans in the state. The statement came after persistent queries on the proposed expansion of its facilities in the controversy-ridden state. Obviously, after this, Mr Bhattacharjee will heave a sigh of relief. More so, as barely 24 hours ago Infosys had made its concern known over the Singur development, even hinting at the possibility of reviewing its planned investment in the state. Infosys is investing Rs 500 crore to set up a software development centre in Rajarhat, opening up prospects of jobs for over 5,000. Following the developments in Singur, first Mr Narayana Murthy, chairman board of Infosys Technologies, termed the developments as unfortunate for West Bengal, India and all progressive Indians. His apprehension was that it would unleash fear and uncertainty in the minds of investors, Indians and foreign. If this was unsettling for the West Bengal government, Mr Mohan Das Pai, director, HR, Infosys, added that Infosys was rethinking its decision to expand business in West Bengal.This is where Wipro's belief in the state has come as music to the government's ears. The software giant is set to raise its present investment in Kolkata from Rs 140 crore to over Rs 500 crore in the next three years. This comprises the cost of land, expansion of existing facilities and related building and infrastructure.The company has also firmed up plans to raise its staff strength from 1,800 to 8,000 in the next four years. Singur or no Singur, all these plans remain unchanged, going by the statement issued by the company. (END) Source: The Statesman

Bengal 'terrifies' investors

Infosys flashes warning, says Singur changed everything
By SAMYABRATA RAY GOSWAMI

Mumbai, Sept. 8: Investors are “terrified” of entering Bengal, a top Infosys official has said bluntly, warning that the outcome of the Singur controversy could have an impact on the infotech giant’s plans in Rajarhat.
“Singur has changed everything. If land promised by a sovereign state government cannot be handed over to a corporate house because of a group of people who are out to settle political scores, then it is not a conducive atmosphere for bringing in investments,” T.V. Mohandas Pai, director (human resources), Infosys, told The Telegraph from Bangalore.
Pai’s tough words came days after Infosys chairman N.R. Narayana Murthy said the agitation at Singur over land acquisition would unleash fear and uncertainty among investors.
Infosys is set to pump in about Rs 500 crore to set up its maiden development centre in Bengal that is likely to generate 5,000 jobs in the first phase.
Pai clarified that the company had not yet decided to scrap the project. “We are not saying we will scrap the Bengal project at this stage. We are in the process of getting approvals and we want to be there. But the atmosphere is not right at present. We are apprehensive and keeping a close watch on how the Singur deadlock pans out,” he said.
The Infosys official echoed Ratan Tata, who had said his prime concern was the safety and security of his employees. “Protection of life and property is the first duty of the government. India Inc is today terrified of entering West Bengal because of the atmosphere of fear and intimidation that has been perpetrated by a handful of people,” the official said.
Pai said he was “shocked” by the utter disregard for law by the protesters, whose agitation had blocked off the crucial Durgapur Expressway. “A high court order has been disregarded and there has been total contempt for rule of law. What kind of society are we living in today? Bengal is a wonderful state with some of the brightest minds. But it is for us as people to decide whether we want a better future for our kids than we had,” he said.
Bengal IT minister Debesh Das said he was not aware of any rethink on the part of Infosys but admitted that the Singur row could have an impact on investments. “We are in regular touch with the company, but it has not communicated anything to this effect. But one cannot deny that Singur would have a grave impact on the IT sector,” he said.
The project might be on track but the blunt words of Pai – and the questions he asked -- are certain to find resonance among many people across the country and abroad.
Infosys had signed the MoU for the Bengal project in April after months of uncertainty over the price of land.
The land at New Town, which had an initial tag of Rs 2.16 crore per acre, was offered to Infosys and Wipro at a much lower rate ranging from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore per acre.
Infosys is to set up a multi-service, multi-technology centre that will have everything from consulting to BPO over 90 acres, part of a 1,200-acre IT city being built adjacent to Vedic Village. Tech titan Wipro has also committed a similar investment over the next three to four years. The employment potential of the 90-acre Wipro campus is also likely to be the same.
Apex business chambers also rallied behind Tata Motors, which is yet to resume work at the Singur plant. Referring to the agreement reached yesterday between the government and Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) said it “was concerned that devil is in the details”.
Ficci said ancillary and vendor development was critical for employment generation. The chamber sought an all-round settlement, “which is a win-win for the government, the Opposition, Tatas, ancillary units, vendors and the farmers”.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) chief mentor Tarun Das also said clarifications should be made on some key questions. “Does it ensure the continued viability of the Nano project? Would the agreement mean sustained peace to enable uninterrupted work in the long term?” (END) Source: The Telegraph


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Tata firm on stand

Statesman News Service

KOLKATA, Sept. 8: It will be 997.11 acres or nothing. Expressing distress at what it termed "limited clarity" on the outcome of discussions between the state government and Miss Mamata Banerjee, Tata Motors today said suspension of work at its plant in Singur would continue, and plans to relocate the manufacture of Nano were being pursued. The company made it clear that in its view there had been no change in the position since its announcement of 2 September when it had said it was evaluating alternative options for manufacturing the Nano at other company facilities and had taken up a detailed plan to relocate plant and machinery from Singur.In spite of a pointed question put to it by The Statesman, the company refused to say if it had today informed the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation of its decision to pull out of the state. Reliable sources though had told this newspaper that a top functionary of Tata Motors had today informed the WBIDC of its decision to leave West Bengal. But it said, "Tata Motors have been consistent on their requirement of 997.11 acres of land which is essential for cost optimisation and viability of Nano project in Singur."In a statement issued early today, the company said: "Tata Motors Ltd. is distressed at the limited clarity on the outcome of the discussions between the Government of West Bengal and the representatives of the agitators in Singur. In view of the same, Tata Motors is obliged to continue the suspension of construction and commissioning work at the Nano plant. We will review our stated position only if we are satisfied that the viability of the project is not being impinged, the integral nature of the mother plant and our ancillary units are being maintained and all stakeholders are committed to develop a long term congenial environment for smooth operations of the plant in Singur."In response to this statement, The Statesman e-mailed some questions to Tata Motors. These were: Is it true that the Managing Director of Tata Motors has today informed WBIDC that Tatas are pulling out of Singur? Further to the Press statement issued by you, please explain what you mean by “limited clarity” on the outcome of discussions between the Government of West Bengal and the agitators in Singur? Were Tatas invited to join the discussions convened by the Governor of West Bengal? Did the state government take you into confidence before committing itself to a position in the talks? Was there no contact between representatives of the state government and Tata Motors during the course of the talks? By stating that the “integral nature of the mother plant and our ancillary units” should be maintained, are you indicating that no portion of the land allotted for the project can be returned to farmers?The company pointedly refused to answer these questions. Instead, it sent a brief response, stating: “We have already issued this morning Tata Motors’ statement which is self-explanatory. You may also refer to the statement issued by Tata Motors last week, which is attached again for your ready reference. The stand taken by TML remains unchanged. Tata Motors have been consistent on their requirement of 997.11 acres of land which is essential for cost optimisation and viability of Nano project in Singur.” The decision of Tata Motors to continue suspension of work in the Nano factory has hurt local youths who were working in the project as contract labourers. Meanwhile, CPI-M supporters today took out a rally demanding that work should be resumed immediately.(END) Source: The Statesman

No change in Singur plan: Govt

Statesman News Service

KOLKATA, Sept. 8: Twenty-four hours after the accord on the Singur small-car project between the state government and the Trinamul Congress-led Opposition, a letter from the Tata Motors managing director to the state industries minister expressing “distress” over “limited clarity on the outcome of the discussions” made the state government assert today that land would be provided to the landlosers keeping intact “the integral nature of the mother plant and the ancillary units which is fundamental and not open to change”. Chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and industries minister Mr Nirupam Sen jointly held a Press conference to clarify that Trinamul chief Miss Mamata Banerjee had been told during discussions at Raj Bhavan that the very nature of the project to manufacture the cheapest car was such that the mother plant and the ancillary units would have to be in an integrated cluster. Raj Bhavan sources said: “The Governor knows about the letter written by the Tata Motors to the state government during the day, but he is not willing to make any comment.” Mr Sen categorically stated, no land earmarked for setting up the ancillary units within the 997 acre project area could be disturbed and relocation of these units was out of the question. Both Mr Bhattacharjee and Mr Sen said the claim made by Miss Banerjee at Singur after the accord last night that 200-300 acres of land from within the project area and outside would be provided to the unwilling farmers “created confusion” which they sought to “clear”. In fact, Mr Sen said: “The relocation of the ancillary units wasn't discussed. The spirit of the discussion was that a committee would be set up to explore the maximum land that can be given from within the project area keeping the agreed ratio of land for the main plant and the ancillary units unaltered.” However, the accord read out by the Governor last night clearly stated: “The government has taken the decision to respond to the demand of those farmers who have not received compensation, by means of land to be provided to the maximum within the project area and the rest in adjacent areas as early as possible. Towards this, a committee will be constituted to ascertain the scope and settle the modalities within a period of one week. During this time the government will urge the vendors (who would set up the ancillary units) not to make any construction.” The state government constituted a four-member committee comprising the Singur MLA and panchayat samiti member belonging to the Trinamul, managing director, WBIDC and the district magistrate, Hooghly. The committee would begin work from tomorrow, the chief minister said. Earlier in the day the industries minister wondered, when asked by the media, “where has it been stated that land would be given from within the project area ?” The chief minister and the minister took only a couple of questions at the Press conference to assure that the project would come up and that the discussions at Raj Bhavan had been held to create an atmosphere congenial to setting up the small car factory. On the other hand the WBIDC website carried a copy of the agreement between the Tatas and the state government on the project, though it contained only what the minister had stated in the Assembly on 15 March, 2007. The agreement has a provision that 47.11 acres within the project area belonging to the WBIDC would be used for rehabilitation of families affected by the project, The Trinamul chief said: “No comments. We have nothing to with what the Tata Motors have said.’’ Commenting on the industries minister’s remarks, she said : “How is it possible ? This is a gentleman’s agreement and signed in front of the Governor by the minister himself. There’s no scope for confusion.’’ LF chairman, Mr Biman Bose, said earlier the Opposition had complained about transparency of the project agreement and now the Tatas were raising questions about transparency of yesterday’s accord. “In an atmosphere where there is lack of transparency, industrialisation will take place only slowly.” The CPI-M state secretariat met and discussed yesterday’s accord and the developments during the day. Mr Manju Majumdar, CPI, state secretary, said : “The Tatas have no business to decide whether the accord is transparent or not. They should immediately resume the project work.”(END) Source : The Statesman