By IANS,
Kolkata : The Tata Motors’ small car Nano, if rolled out from West Bengal’s Singur plant, will help in the state’s development, said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee here Sunday.
“The Singur issue has become a serious problem for every one. But if Nano rolls out from the Tata Motors factory at Singur, it will be highly beneficial for West Bengal,” Mukherjee told reporters.
“The central government does not want to comment or interfere in the state’s matter. The state government and the Tatas will have to sort out the problems themselves. All we can say is that let there be industrialisation, at the same time increase food production,” he added.
Mukherjee further said he is all for new technology.
“I support and welcome new technology. But we must safeguard the interests of common people simultaneously,” Mukherjee said.
Trinamool Congress members are protesting since last week demanding 400 acres of land at the site, some 40 km from here, to be returned to farmers.
A total of 997.11 acres were acquired for the Tata Motors Nano project, of which 691.66 acres were given away by farmers willingly for a financial package.
Tata Motors took up the project to build the small car factory in Singur two years back. Since then there has been resistance from sections of the farmers and political parties over the farmland acquisition.