"WB govt to hand over land to us for small car project," Ratan Tata

Kolkata, Aug 08 (UNI) Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata today hoped the West Bengal government will acquire land and hand it over to them for their coveted Rs one lakh small car project in Singur.

Talking to the mediapersons on the sidelines of Tata Tea AGM here, Mr Tata said the state government is supportive.

Mr Tata said, '' There is always agitation when something new is done. A commercial project and SEZ are created on agricultural land.

Let us leave the issue to the state government. '' Tata would set up this plant in 1,000 acre of land.

When asked about their plans of shifting the location of the plant from the state, he ruled out any alternative location.

West Bengal government had bagged the Tata's car project amidst tough competition from Jharkhand and Uttaranchal. But, the state had faced stiff opposition from its own allies like Forward Bloc and RSP and Opposition for handing over agriculutural land for industrial use.

Already 500 farmers had handed over their land deeds to the state government.

For West Bengal, with high population density and zero barren land, have started facing tough challenges when Tata Motors officials went to Singur in Hoogly district, only 40 km away from Kolkata.

Tata officials were gheraoed by angry farmers asking them about the amount of compensation they would get if they were to sell their land.

State government, however, later said that the agitating farmers had no reason to worry as they would get one-and-a-half times more than the worth of their land if they sell it to the government for the project.

The farmers who give their land for the Tata project would get 150 per cent of the price of the land according to our compensation package. Apart from this, one member from every family will be given an alternative employment opportunity.

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