Singur agreement fails, Tata says no compromise

SINGUR DISAGREEMENT: WB government has formed a four-member committee to look into the land dispute.

Featured Blog

Rajdeep Sardesai

26/11: Terror comes precariously close

Featured Slideshows

Kolkata: Just when everyone thought that a truce had been brokered at the TATA motors project in Singur, the situation nosedived and things are nearly back to square one.

The TATA Motors authorities have said that the 997 acres of land is integral to the Singur auto cluster and no compromise can be made there.

Expressing distress at the land-for-land agreement between the West Bengal government and Trinamool Congress, the TATA Motors authorities sought clarification from the state government on what exactly transpired between the two parties at the Sunday meeting. They have maintained that no compromise could be reached.

Meanwhile, desperate to placate TATA Motors, the West Bengal government has clarified that Mamata Banerjee's demand for 300 acres of land inside the project area was not in the spirit of Sunday's discussion.

"The spirit of Sunday's discussion was to find maximum land without disturbing the main project," says West Bengal Industries Minister, Nirupam Sen.

TATA Motors' ominous indication of a pullout sent shock waves across West Bengal.

Unperturbed Mamata Bannerjee considers the land-for-land deal sacrosanct and has stuck to her demand of 300 acres inside the project area.

"For those farmers who have not taken any compensation, maximum land will be provided within the project area," is Mamata's refrain.

The government has now formed a four-member committee to look into the land dispute within and around the Tata motors' site. This committee will meet on Tuesday and has a week's time to submit its report.

Though Mamata Banerjee has called off the protest for now, the uncertainty of what will happen next in Singur still exists.