By IANS,
Kolkata : The land acquired for Tata Motors’ Nano project at Singur would be used for setting up industrial units, West Bengal’s ruling Left Front (LF) unanimously decided Thursday.
“The LF has given a green signal to the state government to use the Singur land for alternative industries. The government is now in a process to explore all possible options to set up industries there,” state LF chairman Biman Bose told reporters here after a meeting of its contituents.
“We think the land should be used for the industrial purpose as it was acquired keeping in mind a specific reason of industrialisation in that area. Our government is also keen to set up some factories there,” he added.
On the question of returning land to the unwilling farmers, the LF chairman said that the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, has no provision to return the land once acquired.
“If the Tatas are not using the land for their small car factory, they have to give it back to the state government,” Bose said.
The land at Singur, about 40 km from here, was acquired for the project to build the world’s cheapest car, but following an agitation by some of the farmers seeking better compensation, Tata Motors Oct 3 moved the plant to Gujarat.
Tata Motors blamed the state’s principal opposition party Trinamool Congress for the “painful” decision.
Trinamool had led the protests against acquisition of land from farmers unwilling to hand over their holdings.
The auto major’s decision came 32 days after it decided to suspend operations in the Singur factory fearing for security of its employees who were manhandled and threatened by Trinamool-backed protesters, who demanded the return of 400 acres out of the total area of 997.11 acres taken for the project.