Mamata sticks to collision path on small car project

Kolkata, Oct 3(UNI) Rejecting the appeal of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee today announced that her party would boycott tomorrow's all-party meeting while the ruling Left partners gave the go-ahead to the government for acquisition of agricultural land for Tata Motors' small car project at Singur.

Giving further push to the political debate over the propriety of acquiring farm land for industry, Ms Banerjee also turned down an appeal by the Left Front against observing a statewide bandh on October nine.

''Our decision is final. We are not going to take part in tomorrow's all-party meeting, convened by the Chief Minister. We shall not allow industrialisation at the cost of agriculture,'' she said while addressing a press conference shortly after her release from a city nursing home after being treated for chest pain, allegedly caused by police assault during a demonstration at Singur.

The Trinamool leader said the proposed meeting had no relevance after the Government went ahead unilaterally to vest more than 1,000 acres of agricultural land for the project.

She demanded a CBI inquiry into the circumstances that led the state government to acquire fertile land instead of alloting plots for the project elsewhere.

Earlier, the Trinamool Congress had written to the Government conveying its decsion against attending the all-party meeting alleging that the Government was 'hoodwinking' the people in the name of industrialisation. She also alleged that there was no mention about the Singur issue for discussion in the proposed meeting.

The meeting was convened to clarify the Government's plans for setting up of industries and protecting the interest of farmers. The Congress, which had extended support to Ms Banerjee on the Singur issue, would however, attend the meeting.

Left Front Committee Chairman Biman Basu said after a meeting of partners that all the constituents were satisfied the way the work for Singur project was progressing and were unanimous for its speedy completion.

He said the Chief Minister and Industry Minister Nirupam Sen clarified in the meeting how the proposed automobile industry would give a fillip to economic activities in the state and the partners did not disagree with the process.

''We are not hoodwinking the people. The project is in the overall interest of the people and the state,'' he said.

In reply to a question, Mr Basu claimed that nowhere in the country displaced farmers had been given the kind of compensation package which being offered at Singur.

With the Left Front already raising an accusing finger at the opposition for hindering industrialisation process, the Congress, made a volte face saying the party was against acquisition of multi-crop land and not against the Tatas' project.

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