The Hindu : Front Page : Talks with Trinamool leaders today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Talks with Trinamool leaders today

Special Correspondent

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee

KOLKATA: Letters were exchanged between Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and it was decided here on Tuesday that the meeting between representatives of the State Government and the Trinamool Congress leadership to discuss issues pertaining to the Tata Motors’ automobile manufacturing project coming up at Singur will be held at the State Secretariat on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister sent a letter to Ms. Banerjee informing her of the time and venue of the discussions. He also thanked her for responding to his invitation on Monday to hold talks with the State Government on the Singur issue.

This was in reply to a letter from Ms. Banerjee stating that “in the interests of the people and to keep the door of democracy open for getting their demands fulfilled” she would be sending her party colleague and Leader of the Opposition, Partha Chatterjee, to the Chief Minister for talks on the demand that the land acquired from peasants against their consent for setting up the Tata Motors project be returned to them.

Her letter also said that the convener of the Krishi Jami, Jiban, Jibika Raksha (Protection of Farmland, Lives and Livelihood) Committee that is spearheading the agitation at Singur (of which the Trinamool Congress is the principal constituent) shall accompany Mr. Chatterjee for the talks.

The State’s Industries Minister, Nirupam Sen, will be representing the State government in the discussions.

Ms. Banerjee, who has claimed that 400 acres (out of the 997 acres) of land was forcibly acquired for the project, has threatened an indefinite stir outside the project site from August 24 till the land in question is handed back to its owners.

The ruling Left Front appealed to the Trinamool Congress leadership to put off its agitation plans , now that Ms Banerjee had agreed to sit for talks with the State Government.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page