Farmers queue up to collect compensatory cheques at Singur

Kolkata, Oct 09 (UNI) Even as the state observed a 12-hour bandh to protest acquiring of farmland for the Tata Motors Small Car project at Singur, 15 farmers collected cheques from the state agency today taking the total to 2,400.

West Bengal government has so far disbursed 2,400 cheques to the farmers as payments for acquiring land at Singur, State Land Reforms Minister Abdul Razzaq said here today.

Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy added 15 farmers came to collect cheques in Singur today.

Mr Razzaq said the state government has so far acquired 997 acres of land in Singur. The government needs to give 1013 acres of land to the Tata for launching off their project.

Mr Razzaq said the project would also help in attracting industries in the state.

The Singur land acquiring has become the cynosore of all political parties with the opposition targetting the alleged disbusrsement of farmland to the industrial giants as an anti-agrarian policy of the government and the ruling Left Front showcasing it as the symbol of industrial resurgence, while assuring that the agro-belt will not be affected.

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