Kolkata:
Mamata Banerjee got one step closer today to delivering one of her biggest campaign promises - that she would return 400 acres to farmers in Singur who did not want to give their land to the Tata Group and refused compensation. The land was leased by the Left when it was in power to the Tata Group who planned to set up a manufacturing plant for its Nano car.
In the West Bengal Assembly today, The Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill 2011, was passed by voice vote. Effectively, Ms Banerjee's government has acquired all of the 997.11 acres of land that the previous Left government had leased to Tata Motors. Out of that, around 400 acres belong to farmers. The other 600 acres that were leased, Ms Banerjee said last week, will be "kept open for industry...The Tatas can set up industry if they want. If they (Tata) demand compensation without going in for industry on these 600 acres, we will give them compensation through legal means by appointing an arbitrator."
The Tatas abandoned their Singur plans in October 2008 after repeated protests by farmers supported by Ms Banerjee's party, the Trinamool Congress.
The Opposition Left parties walked out during the vote on the new bill, citing legal loopholes in the legislation and the powers it accords to Ms Banerjee.
We did not abandon plot, retaliates Tata Group
A statement released by Tata Motors this evening said the firm "will study the Bill and take appropriate steps." The company stresses that it invested nearly 1800 crores in establishing the plant at Singur and another 440 crores on constructing buildings and adding infrastructure.
Challenging Ms Banerjee's stand, the company states - "The Bill mentions 'non-commissioning and abandoning' of the project by Tata Motors and goes on to state that 'no employment generation and socio-economic development has taken place and people in and around the area have not benefited in any manner.' Tata Motors wants to clarify that the operations of setting up and commissioning of the plant was conducted under very difficult conditions, amidst violence, disruption of activities, damage to property, threats to personnel. ... therefore, Tata Motors did not find the situation congenial to continue its operations and, there being no guarantee of a safe and peaceful environment, had to reluctantly close operations on October 3, 2008."
(Read the full statement)