Congress softens stand on land issue

Kolkata, Sep 28 (UNI) Seeking to dissociate itself from the Trinamool hardline over the TATA car issue, the Congress in West Bengal today said the party was not against the project to come up at Singur.

''We are not against setting up of the car factory at Singur. But the Government should leave out the multi-crop plots as much as possible in its drive for acquisition of land from farmers,'' Congress Legislature Party leader Manas Bhunia said softening the party's stand over the issue.

Protesting the CPI(M) camapaign that the Congress was responsible for opposing the acquisition of land for industry, Mr Bhunia urged Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to convene an all party meeting after the Puja to clarify the nature of land the Government was acquiring and the rehabilitation package it had prepared for the displaced farmers.

The Congress would extend full cooperation to the Government for industrialisation of the state without disturbing the basic interest of the farmers, he added.

Mr Bhunia's remarks came a day after the Congress leaders, including Union Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi participated in a procession jointly with the Trinamool Congress protesting the police atrocities on political activists, including Ms Mamata Banerjee during a demonstration on September 25 and the Government move to hand over a large farm land to the TATAs.

The party leadership also extended unequivocal support to Ms Banerjee's call for a statewide bandh on October nine, vowing to frustrate the Singur project.

UNI AKM/KDG PC AKJ KP2047