Minister for Public Works Department and senior leader of Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), a Left Front partner, Kshiti Goswami today raised the same demand saying that they would broach the subject at the next Left Front meeting.

“The government should return the land to those farmers who were unwilling to give their land for the Tata Motors project at Singur. We do not believe that a mechanism can not be worked out for this. The issue of compensation is also important. We will raise this issue at the next Left Front meeting,” said Goswami.

Manju Kumar Majumder, State Secretary of CPI, another Left Front partner, said: “No development can take place at the cost of tears of the common man. If some land at Singur project is found surplus or if the ancillary units can be relocated the land can be returned to the farmers.”

“The state government must discuss this with all concerned people. There should not be any ego or any rigidity on anybody’s part,” he added.

Incidentally, the Forward Bloc had earlier demanded that the entire Tata Motors project be scrapped and all the land be returned to the farmers.

The demand was raised last year by Ashok Ghosh, Bloc State Committee Secretary, at a rally at Singur.

Trinamool attack at Singur factory site fails to stop work
A day after supporters of Trinamool-backed Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Committee attacked the Tata Motors’ controversial small car factory in Singur, the work at the project site continued unhindered on Monday.

Bolstered by the recent victory of Trinamool in the panchayat elections, the anti-land acquisition supporters had burnt two watchtowers at the project site on Sunday.

The work at the site, however, is progressing smoothly and officials of the Tata Motors have expressed confidence in beginning the trial run of Rs one lakh car, Nano, in October as per schedule.

“The bulk of the work in setting up the factory has been completed. At present 2,500 workers are employed at the site. Despite some trouble outside the project area, work inside is going on at a fast pace. We want to finish it before the onset of the monsoon,” said a spokesperson of the Tata Motors.

Fifty of the 52 units of the factory site have been completed, as workers are giving the finishing touches to the factory’s electrical system. The roads have also been completed and work at the ancilliary units is also going on in full swing. The officials said that within next month all works for setting up ancilliary units would also be completed.

The factory’s car paint unit, welding and engine units have also been completed.