Farmers burn down police watch tower outside Singur Tata Project

Singur, May 25(UNI)Tension brimmed over in Singur once again as irate farmers, under the banner of Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Committee, today burnt down a police watch tower, injuring three policemen, just outside Tata Project in Kasherberia village's Boshpukur area.

The project is gaurded by at least half a dozen watch towers, manned by 10-12 policemen.

Singur CO Priyobrata Bakshi said that in order to tackle the mob, police had to fire seven rounds of tear gas and resort to mild lathicharge as the farmers had gone out of control.

The wounded policemen had been admitted to Singur Rural Hospital.

Police force has been increased in the area to avoid any more untoward incident. However, no arrests have been made so far, Mr Bakshi said, adding that the situation was now under control.

Meanwhile, AITC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who was in the area to hold a symbolic public meeting on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Committee's movement against the Tata Motors Small Car Project in Singur, said that this was an isolated incident.

''However, the police should have observed more restraint and not lobbed tear gas at the farmers,'' she said and added, ''The police department need to be more patient in handling such things as the agitators were frustrated farmers, from whom their only mode of survival had been taken away.'' UNI XC LL RL KP1934