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Tata Motors assessing situation

Kolkata: With workers staying away for the second consecutive day, Tata Motors is closely assessing the Singur situation. This is a crucial juncture for the small car project, which is slated for launch in October-December.

“The workers are not attending to work and there has been no improvement in the ground situation so far. Hence the condition is still not conducive to resuming work,” a Tata Motors spokesperson said on Saturday. The Trinamool Congress’ sit-in demonstration at the project site entered its seventh day.

The company suspended work on Friday after a section of the agitators prevented workers from leaving the project site on Thursday afternoon. They were later rescued by the police.

The Trinamool is demanding return of 400 acres of land “forcibly” acquired from farmers for the car project.

West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi has written to Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, with a copy to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. However, Raj Bhavan sources have declined to reveal the contents of the letter.

Meanwhile, a meeting between officials of the NHAI and Trinamool leaders to solve the problem of Durgapur Expressway blockade fell through, with Ms. Banerjee denying that her party’s agitation led to the jam. “Are we fools to block roads this way? Our own supporters will be prevented from joining us then.”

Home Secretary A.M. Chakraborty said Delhi Road was also getting choked now as more vehicles were trying to use this route.

The NHAI intervention, led by project director Avdesh Kumar, came after a court directive to free the highway. Superintendent of Police (Hooghly) Rajiv Mishra said the NHAI authorities filed a case at the Singur police station against the protesters illegally setting up camps on Saturday. But Ms. Banerjee said these temporary structures were erected to protect the agitators from rain.

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