West Bengal government dismisses fresh talk offer to Mamata

Kolkata, Jan 22 (UNI) The West Bengal Government today ruled out any offer of fresh talks on the Singur issue to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee as the Tata Motors continued mobilising ''men and material'' in the project site, gearing up to start construction of the small car plant shortly.

Protesting the project being pushed through, a band of women activists of the Trinamool Congress vandalised the Tata Centre building in the city, while the party said it was ''seriously considering'' a movement against the Tatas.

Maintaining that doors for talks were always open to Ms Banerjee, Industry Minister Nirupam Sen told reporters that the Government was awaiting her response to the letters the Chief Minister's office had sent to her earlier.

''The Chief Minister has already sent her four letters. But I am not aware of any reply so far. Talks can be held if Ms Banerjee wants and responds to the letters,'' he said replying to a question if the Government would send another letter to the Trinamool leader.

Meanwhile, while mobilising construction equipment in the project site, Tata Motors started enrolment of local people for work today as a large contingent of police kept guarding the area against any possible trouble.

According to Mr M V Rao, Director Industry, work was going on in the small car site at Singur to mobilise equipment and men, including those who had given land and the sharecroppers. '' Work had been taken up for setting up the necessary infrastructure, including the power sub-station, internal road linking and the boundary wall which would take about six weeks, '' he said.

''The work for construction of the plant will start in a week or two,'' he said, adding about 2,500 workers would be engaged in the peak working time.

But a day after Tata Motors officials kickstarted work for the small car factory, women activists of the Trinamool Congress went on a rampage, holding a demonstration in front of the Tata Centre in Central Kolkata, pelting stones and smearing the gate of the building.

''About a dozen women demonstrators suddenly appeared in front of the Tata Centre building, throwing tar at the on duty security men and smearing the gate,'' Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee told UNI.

Eyewitnesses said the demonstrators also pelted stones at the 18-storied building, housing the TISCO headquarters as well as a number of other companies. However, Mr Mukherjee denied having received any such report.

The policemen present at the spot could not put up much resistance to the demonstrators in the absence of women constables.

However, security around the building had been beefed up by posting more policemen following the incident, the Police Commissioner said.

Trinamool Congress sources claimed that the group of demonstrators included members from the displaced families of Singur. They also claimed that a 'bhoomi puja' was performed in front of the Tata Centre gate mocking the ceremonial rites the Tata Motors officials performed in the small car project site yesterday.

Protesting the ''inhuman attitude'' in pushing through the project, Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee said the party was planning to launch a movement against the Tatas. '' We are seriously considering to launch a movement against the Tatas by holding demonstration in front of their various units in the state, ''he said and warned that the situation could go ''out of control'' in future over the Singur issue.

Protesting the Tata's going ahead with the project, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee alleged yesterday that the Left Front Government had broken its promise for a negotiated settlement of the Singur problem.

A section of villagers, under the banner of the Trinamool Congress-led ''Krishi Jami Raksha Committee'', also set afire a few fencing posts at Singur in protest against the project being pushed through.

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said the period of prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr P C had been extended for another ten days. The prohibitory orders were clamped in the area following a clash between villagers and police on December three.

UNI