By P.S. Anantharaman, IANS,
Ahmedabad : The foundation stone for the Tata’s Nano car project at Sanand near Ahmedabad will be laid Nov 3.
Though there is no word yet from the Tata group on the subject, vendors associated with the project say preparations have begun to prepare for the traditional religious rites on the fifth day after Diwali.
In Gujarat, all new businesses, plans and projects, traditionally begin on this day. Chief Minister Narendra Modi is also keen that the project is formally launched Nov 3.
Tata Motors was handed over 1,100 acres Oct 9, the holy Hindu day of Dussehra.
According to J.V. Rawal, a district level officer at Sanand, the transfer of land to Tata Motors has been completed.
Some farmers and the erstwhile prince of Sanand Jayshivsinh Vaghela have raised objections to the land transfer on different grounds. Rawal held discussions with some 20 farmers and Vaghela Monday on the issue.
Rawal later told IANS there were no serious issues and the status of land handed over to the Tatas would not be affected.
Meanwhile, industry bodies in the adjoining Rajkot district said they hoped the Rs.20 billion Nano car project in Sanand would transform the economic landscape of the area.
Officials of the Rajkot Engineering Association (REA) and the Rajkot Machine Tool Manufacturers Association (RMTMA) said they would meet Tata group leaders to forge profitable business partnerships.
While REA has plans to invite Tata leaders for discussions, RMTMA hopes to meet senior Tata officials during the machine tool exhibition which begins Oct 18.
With the Tatas setting up the small car plant in Sanand, Rajkot industrialists expect their share in the vendor supplies would go up from the current 30 percent to 100 percent, RMTMA former president Rupesh Mehta said.
According to Mehta, it would be appropriate if the state government finds it an opportunity to promote and develop a special economic zone or an industrial park for auto ancillary production.
“There was a similar proposal two years ago, which made no progress. Now it is the time to give it a concrete shape. A modern ancillary and machine tool production unit can come along with the Sanand project,” he said.