By IANS
Kolkata : Citing legal hurdles, the West Bengal government Thursday said the opposition demand for returning the land acquired from unwilling farmers for the Tata Motors small car project in Singur could not be met.
The decision was taken at the core committee meeting of the state cabinet here, even as Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee vowed to intensify the fight for recovering the land.
Public Works Department Minister Kshiti Goswami said Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had informed the cabinet of the decision.
Bhattacharya said the land acquired for the Tata project could not be returned as there are legal hurdles and the boundary wall has also been constructed.
He told the core committee that Commerce and Industry Minister Nirupam Sen had informed veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu that it would not be possible to return the land.
However, the cabinet was informed that an alternative proposal was being worked out. It, however, could not be made public as the Singur land acquisition issue is sub-judice and the Calcutta High Court is expected to hear the matter shortly.
Basu, who had a meeting with Banerjee on June 4 to find a solution to both Singur and Nandigram issues, had said the state government should look into her demands. Both leaders had then expressed confidence on reaching an amicable settlement.
Reacting to Thursday's decision, Banerjee said: "We will fight for the return of the land.
"Marxists have joined hands with Tatas to grab the land of farmers. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya does not know the basics of land acquisition," she said. Earlier, Banerjee threatened to move the highest court to fight for the farmers' land rights.
Over 997 acres of land in Singur have been chosen by Tata Motors for its small car project. The issue has triggered a violent face-off between the government and farmers led by civil society groups and parties like the Trinamool Congress.