WB: Nandigram tense after mob violence

Kolkata/Nandigram, Jan 5: The situation in Nandigram that witnessed a mob violence on Wednesday, remained under control even though tension simmered as villagers put up barricades to cut-off the area from rest of the state, official sources said today.

Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said the situation in Nandigram, in East Midnapore district, was under control but tension still prevailed in the area.

''We are aware that arms had been smuggled into the village. But police will not go for raids right now. We are waiting for the situation to normalise before taking any action,'' he told reporters.

In reply to a question, Mr Ray ruled out the possibility of imposing prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC like that clamped in Singur.

A large contingent of police had been posted in the area after the mob fury in which 20 people, including 14 cops, were injured following a reported government move for acquisition of 22,500 acres of land for two proposed Special Economic Zones (SEZs) by the Indonesian Salim Group.

The incident took place even before the political situation in Singur over the land acquisition by Tatas cooled down.

The villagers also dug up roads, broke bridges, felled trees and put boulders to block entry to 27 villages under the Nandigram police station area.

However, the state government denied having issued any notification for land takeover in the area saying the violence was ''deliberate'' and it was made to happen on the basis of a rumour.

Yesterday, Trinamool Congress activists went on a rampage in the office of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) -- the nodal government agency in Kolkata for setting up industries -- damaging the property to protest against land acquisition.

The Home Secretary said altogether eleven Trinamool Congress activists, including party leader Baiswyanar Chattopadhyay were arrested in connection with the incident. They were later released on bail by the court.

Meanwhile, CPI spokesman Shamim Fouzi today said on the sidelines of the party's National Council meeting that no land acquisition would take place in Nandigram without consultating the ruling Left Front partners.

UNI