Bhattacharjee to visit Singur on mission persuasion

Kolkata, Feb 2 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is scheduled to visit Singur on February 12, Iin his bid to calm the row over land acquisition.

As the bitter acrimony surrounding the Tata's small car project refuses to die down, with new forces rising in opposition, this would be Mr Bhattacharjee's first visit to Singur ever since trouble erupted.

According to CPI(M) sources, the Chief Minister would address a public rally in the area to ''set at right the misgivings among a section of people'' about setting up of industry and explain to them the government's vision and stand.

''The Chief Minister would explain to the people, especially those dependent on agriculture, the benefits they would get once the car factory, perceived to be a starter to an industrial boom in the state, starts functioning,'' the sources said.

Mr Bhattacharjee's visit had been planned following the ''spate of false propaganda misleading the people'' and the attempt to ''scuttle'' the project, being made by the Trinamool Congress, SUCI, few Naxalite groups and some social activists, the sources said.

His visit would be preceded by a ''Singur chalo'' programme, led by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Febuary 10 demanding the shifting the ambitious project from Singur.

Back in action, Ms Banerjee, leading 'Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Committee', a platform of 20 political parties and organisations, issued a fresh threat of a ''tooth and nail'' fight over land acquisition.

With a large number of farmers belonging to the minority community, the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind also took up the issue carrying out a fierce campaign against acquisition of land.

The Jamiat, which held a rally today at Singur has already organised meetings at Nandigram and Baruipur, where anti-government rhetoric resounded.

With prohibitory orders no longer in force, Singur has become the destination of divergent forces carrying out agitational programmes against the small car project.

Besides the Trinamool and the Jamiat, the state unit of BJP had also planned an agitation in the area.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr of the P C were clamped in Singur following a clash between villagers and police on December 5 during fencing of the site for the small car project and continued till January 28.

However, Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray today said if necessary, the prohibitory orders could be imposed once again.

UNI