Tata Motors committed to Singur: Ravi Kant

Kolkata, Dec 15 (UNI) As the hunger strike of Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee entered the eleventh day today, Tata Motors Managing Director Ravi Kant made it clear that there was no going back on the small car project at Singur.

''We are committed to Singur, its development and the well being of the people on whose land the factory will be set up,'' he told in an interview to a Bengali news channel.

Ms Banerjee has been on an indefinite hunger strike under the banner of 'Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Committee', a platform of 20 heterogenious political parties and organisations demanding that the site for the proposed project be shifted from Singur, a fertile multi-crop area in West Bengal's Hooghly district.

The Tata Motors MD had asserted also on previous occasions that the first small car would roll out in 2008 from the Singur unit.

Ravi Kant made it clear that the Tata Motors would not back out of the project and was committed to the schedule for the first small car to roll out by mid 2008.

Describing the developments over Singur as 'very unfortunate', he said ''We thought the leader of that constituency - whosoever - would be very happy that something was being done to create major employment for the people.'' But not only did Ms Banerjee today turn down the request of former Prime Minister V P Singh, but her party was set to launch a fresh agitation in every district of West Bengal to intensify the movement. ''Our patience is running out. We will begin a district-wise agitation in the form of a satyagraha,'' Trinamool Youth Congress leader Madan Mitra said.

Last week Ms Banerjee spurned the request of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to call off fasting and sit for dialogues with the government on issues relating to rehabilitation of the farmers whose land had been acquired for the project.

However, Ms Banerjee made it a point that talks could be held only after the government stopped acquisition of land and withdrew prohibitory orders imposed in and around Singur.

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