LF to counter Mamata's opposition in Singur rally

Kolkata, Nov 26 (UNI) With Ms Mamata Banerjee giving a war cry against acquisition of farm land, the ruling Left Front in West Bengal will organise a rally at Singur, the site for the Tatas' small car project, to campaign for development.

''We are going to organize a rally at Singur on November 29 to campaign among the people in favour of development and against any act of destruction,'' Left Front Chairman Biman Basu today said.

The announcement came a day after the Trinamool supremo vowed to 'give blood' and stall the project and Tata Motors Managing Director Ravi Kant rolled out a rosy picture for Singur, an agrarian area in Hooghly district which promises to be a hub of ancillary activities based on the automobile industry.

The proposed rally will also project a united face of the CPI(M)-led Front, which experienced inner rumblings with smaller partners expressing a different view from that of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee over acquiring agricultural land for setting up of industries.

The state Government claims to have already acquired 900 out of a required 997 acres of land from the local farmers for the project with the investors setting a deadline of 2008 for the first small car to roll out. While a number of land owners have already accepted compensation cheques for the land they had parted with, the Government is poised to take physical possession of the acquired land shortly before handing them over to the Tata Motors.

However, yesterday, Ms Banerjee alleged that the claim of the Government was false and more than 550 acres was yet to be acquired with the owners refusing to give their land. Ms Banerjee , who is now camping at Singur, also threatened the Government with 'dire consequences' and a possible 'blood bath' if it forced its way in acquiring agricultural land.

Spearheading a movement on the issue, the Trinamool Congress had also formed ''Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Committee'', a platform of several opposition parties. The committee had also roped in social activist Medha Patkar and Jnanpeeth award winner litterateur and social worker Mahasweta Devi to take stock of the local situation.

However, ridiculing her, Mr Basu today said, ''if Ms Banerjee has to give her blood she should give it at a blood donation camp rather than making a waste of it.'' The Left Front partners had already taken a unanimous decision that industrialisation in the state should be sped up with proper measures for protection of multi-crop agricultural land.

With the Government having had a compulsion of speedy acquisition of the Tatas' chosen land at Singur to meet the production deadline, the Chief Minister announced his decision to prepare a land map for further use of plots for industries avoiding agricultural land as much as possible.

MORE UNI KDG BA SAM MIR RN2115