Tatas start construction work ; Mamata cries foul

Singur, West Bengal, Jan 21 (UNI) After months of turbulence over land acquisition, Tata Motors began work for constuction of its Rs 1000 crore small car plant here today even as angry villagers burnt down fencing posts in protest and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee accused the state Government of breaking a promise.

A team of Tata Motors officials, including Mr M V Kulkarni, General Manager, Constructions, performed a 'Bhumi puja' inside the fenced area at Jaimollar chak village beside Durgapur Expressway in presence of state Government officials this morning.

This was followed by erection of a few pillars for the boundary wall to be constructed around the 997.11 acre of land, acquired for the project.

But tension ran high later in the day when a section of people under the banner of the Krishi Jami Raksha Committee gathered at Beraberi purbapara village and set afire the fencing posts to vent their ire against the project being pushed through.

About a dozen wooden posts were burnt to ashes before police came to the spot and doused flames. The demonstrators also shouted slogans against the Left Front Government and the Tatas.

A large contingent of police and Rapid Action Force personnel, led by the Superintendent of Police and the Additional Superintendent of Police, rushed to the spot shortly after the incident and surrounded the entire area.

The SP said no arrest had been made so far.

Meanwhile, 'shocked' at the breach of promise of the state Government, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee issued a press statement, describing as ''undemocratic'' the way the project work had started.

'' I am deeply shocked the way it has been done. I called off my hunger strike on December 28 on the assurances of the state Government, the Prime Minister and the President that the Singur problem would be solved through discussion. But the Government has broken its promise, '' she said.

The Trinamool leader was now convalescing at her home after being discharged from nursing home on January 18.

She also criticised the Government for extending the period of prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr P C in and around Singur.

Following the report of the Tatas beginning groundwork for the project, Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee, Trinamool Congress general secretary Mukul Roy and party's youth wing leader Madan Mitra visited Singur and held a meeting with the local leaders of Krishi Jami Raksha Committee at Beraberi Purbapara village.

A release issued by the Tata Motors said the small car factory was expected to create employment in excess of 10,000 direct and indirect jobs within the plant amongst vendors and service providers in the vicinity.

It was initiating steps to train people of the Singur villages.

Arrangements will also be made to impart relevant training to other individuals in the WBIDC list, appropriate to their educational background and skills and based on a selection process.

Even women would be employed in different activities, the release added.

UNI