Tatas waiting to return: Buddhadeb...

The Tata Motors authorities “are anxiously waiting to come back” but still think the situation in Singur is not congenial to resume work on the Nano project, according to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

“They are closely observing the situation and when they feel the situation is normal they will come back,” he said at a press conference here on Wednesday.

Mr. Bhattacharjee is in regular touch with the Tata group and spoke to its chairman Ratan Tata on Tuesday.

The company had not set a time limit to wait for normality to return to Singur but “time is a very important factor. We have already lost more than a month.”

“Please see reason”

The Chief Minister appealed to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee “to understand the realities, try to see reason and please allow us to set up the factory.”

He said: “I am ready to discuss issues with her if she responds to my appeal to accept the package [of the State government providing economic rehabilitation and additional monetary compensation to all farmers whose land has been acquired for the project].”

Mr. Bhattacharjee: “I do not want confrontation and I am still confident that if the Opposition responds to our appeal and the situation improves further — no doubt there has been some improvement from what it was ten days ago — the atmosphere [at Singur] will be conducive to restart work at the plant.”

He urged those farmers who had not accepted compensation for their land acquired to do so by September 22.

The Tata Motors announced suspension of work at the Nano plant on September 2 in view of the continued confrontation and agitation at the site.

The Chief Minister said Ms. Banerjee, who was demanding that 300 acres from within the project site be handed back to those who had not accepted compensation, “is failing to understand the integrated character of the plant.”

The government was willing to provide the farmers who have not accepted compensation 70 acres from within the project area.

Mr. Bhattacharjee refuted Ms. Banerjee’s allegations that the understanding arrived at after their talks in the presence of the Governor on September 7 “had been violated.”

Mamata’s threat

Ms. Banerjee has threatened to resume the agitation. “The stir has not been called off but only suspended.” It could be resumed after meeting Governor Gopalakrishna Gandhi on his return to the city [later this week], she said.

“We had brought back normality to Singur but after this if the situation there turns bad, it will be the government that will be wholly responsible,” Ms. Banerjee said.

Source: The Hindu