Mamata ready to bid adieu to Tata motors

Kolkata, Aug 22: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said, '' If Tata Motors wanted to move out from the state let them do so. We didn't object to any other investment by the Tatas. We are even open to proposal which gives 600-acres to the Tata's but if they want to move out from West Bengal let them do so," reacting to Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata's warning to pull out from West Bengal if the Singur impasse continued.

She said her party was in favour of both industry and agriculture in the state, but it was the state government which was solely responsible for the Singur situation.

''But the facts which had been given by the Tatas to us are also quite confusing and the withdrawing of Rs 1500 crore investment from the Nano car project makes no difference,'' Ms Banerjee told newspersons.

Ridiculing the state government, she said if there had been nothing between the state government and the Tatas, then why did the Industry Minister Nirupam Sen secretly meet Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata at night.

''The Tata's 'blackmail' would not work here and they cannot dictate terms to the Trinamool Congress.'' Ms Banerjee reiterated that apart from the 600-acres of land which is sufficient for the small car project, the rest 400-acres forcibly acquired land should be given back to the unwilling farmers.

She said her party would not oppose if the car factory was set up on the 600 acre of land. ''But we will continue our agitation if the 400 acre of land are not returned to the farmers,'' she said.

''We are committed to the people and cannot backtrack from our stand until our demands are met,'' she asserted.

UNI