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“Singur will become a graveyard if Tatas go”

Special Correspondent

Dasmunsi urges company to hold talks with State government to find a way out

KOLKATA: Instead of talking of a pullout from Singur, Tatas should hold discussions with the State government to find a way out of the impasse, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said here on Sunday.

“Is it child’s play to suddenly abandon the project? Singur will become a graveyard if the Tatas who are saying that they want to go really do so. We cannot allow this. This is not proper,” he said pointing out that the land acquired for the project could not be used for agriculture for some years now and the local people would have nothing to turn to for a living.

Mr. Dasmunsi was addressing a rally at Singur organised by the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee.

Mr. Dasmunsi, who is also president of the party’s State unit, accused the State government of “betraying” those behind the agitation over acquisition of land for the project site by going into signing the September 7 “agreement” where it had assured that “maximum land from within the project site and the remaining from outside the area” would be provided to farmers who have not accepted compensation.

“It is Buddhadeb Babu [Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee] who has betrayed the agitators,” he said.

How could Nirupam Sen, the State’s Industries Minister have signed such an agreement without consulting Tata Motors and its ancillaries, he asked. Moreover, “is the government not aware that land acquired cannot be returned as per law?”

Mr. Dasmunsi will be calling on Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Monday and request him to “take a fresh initiative” in resolving the Singur problem “so that industry stays on and farmers are given a chance to survive.”

He urged the Chief Minister to convene an all-party meeting and determine a more attractive composite package for farmers whose land had been acquired for the project “that should include a land-for-land package, one for additional compensation and another offering employment opportunities.”

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