By IANS,
Kolkata : The Tata Motors’ Nano plant witnessed about 80 percent attendance Monday as protests by the Trinamool Congress against the small car project at Singur in West Bengal entered the second day.
“There was about 80 percent attendance,” a Tata Motors spokesperson said here.
The Trinamool Congress Sunday launched an indefinite siege of the factory at Singur, about 40 km from here.
“The Tata Group is still hopeful that Nano will roll out in October. I hope the attendance will be normal from Tuesday,” Tata Ryerson managing director Sandipan Chakraborty said.
The protests are being spearheaded by the Trinamool-led Krishijami Jiban Jibika Raksha Committee, which opposes the takeover of farmland for the Tata project.
The protesters are demanding the return of 400 acres which they say was forcibly taken from unwilling farmers to build ancillary industries adjacent to the Tata Motors’ mother plant.
A total of 997.11 acres were acquired for the project, of which 691.66 acres belonged to farmers who gave their land willingly.
“We’ll continue this movement till our demand is fulfilled,” Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra said.