Jyoti Basu

Kolkata: The alternative package prepared by the State Government for the rehabilitation of peasants from whom land has been acquired without their consent for the Tata Motors car project coming up at Singur is "the best ever to be offered in the country," veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu said here on Friday.

The package will be announced after June 18 — the day a division bench of the Calcutta High Court is to hear an affidavit submitted on behalf of the Government in response to a public litigation interest petition related to matters of land acquisition at Singur and compensation provided to peasants.

The proposals were worked out by the State Government in the face of threats by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, of her party continuing its agitation against the project until land taken from peasants who were unwilling to part with it is returned.

"Does she know what the alternative proposals are?" asked Mr. Basu wondering why Ms. Banerjee was rejecting a proposal without even looking into it and continued to remain adamant that nothing less than the land in question being returned would be acceptable.

"There is no question of returning the land. Never before in India has such a proposal as the one prepared by Nirupam Sen [State Industries Minister] been conceived," he added.

Mr. Basu and Ms. Banerjee had met on June 4 when Ms. Banerjee was told that the demands being raised by her regarding the Singur project would be taken up with the Government.

Subsequently, Ms. Banerjee had repeated her refusal to sit for talks with the Government on the issue and had rejected any alternative proposal, which it might be working on.

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