By IANS
Kolkata : London-based industrialist Swraj Paul was shown black flags by villagers protesting farmland acquisition when he visited the Tata Motors’ factory site meant to build the world’s cheapest car Nano in Singur near here Tuesday.
“A section of villagers staged agitations near the factory site in Singur when Swraj Paul’s convoy entered the area. There has been no major incident so far,” West Bengal Inspector General (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told IANS.
He said a few villagers, who were protesting farmland acquisition for the plant site in Singur, held a minor protest demonstration and showed black flags to the NRI businessman’s convoy.
The police said the members of the Singur Krishi Jami, Jibon, Jibika Raksha Committee (Singur Save Farmlands Committee) also blocked a road near Maitipara and Ghaserchak Beltala area in Singur.
Swraj Paul, founder and chairman of the Britain-based Caparo Group, visited the Singur facility of Caparo Engineering India Pvt Ltd (CEIPL) Tuesday morning.
The Caparo facility will supply stampings to Tata Motors for manufacturing Nano, the world’s cheapest car. Caparo has got orders for almost 10 percent of components to be used in the car.
The Caparo facility is coming up with an investment of Rs.1.2 billion.
Caparo India, which specialises in manufacturing of automotive stampings in steel and aluminium, supplies components to auto majors like Maruti Suzuki, General Motors, Honda Motors, Delphi Motors, Eicher Motors, Ford India and Hindustan Motors.
Around 997 acres of land have been chosen by Tata Motors for its small car project in Hooghly district’s Singur, 40 km from the state capital.
The land acquisition issue had triggered a violent face-off between the West Bengal government and farmers backed by political parties like the Trinamool Congress.