Farmers block roads in Singur over Tata car plant

Singur, Feb 8 : Several farmers blocked the Durgapur Expressway for an indefinite period today in protest against the Tata Motors' small car project plant coming up in Singur. Farmers and Trinamul Congress activists gathered under the banner of the Krishi Jami Raksha Committee (Save Farmland Committee) to protest against a Kolkata High Court verdict that dismissed all petitions related to land acquisition in Singur for the Tata car project.

The protesters demanded the return of the land that was acquired forcefully from them for the Tata project. They said that their agitation would continue until their demands were met. Trinamul Congress MLA Rabindranatht Bhattacharya said that about 300 acres of land had been forcefully acquired for the project. The blockade began at around 11 a.m. A huge police force was immediately sent to the spot.

Following the death of five Forward Bloc activists in police firing in Dinhatta in Cooch Behar District, the State Government has strictly instructed the police not to open fire or to apply force on protesters. Negotiations with the protesters were reported to be still on.

ANI