Security stepped up at Singur

Singur, Aug 23 (UNI) Security has been beefed up around Tata Motors' small car project in view of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's move to go for an indefinite dharna at Singur from tomorrow.

Informing this, SP (Hooghly) Rajiv Mishra today said while the agitators would be barred from entering the project site, any attempt to cause disturbance in the adjancent areas would be thwarted. The number of police forces had also been raised to 2,500 from 900, he added.

''Anybody can stage peaceful democratic movement but if that creates a menace to the security as well as law and order at Tata project site, we will take necessary actions, '' Mr Mishra informed.

Mr Mishra said police forces had also been brought from neighbouring districts like Burdwan, 24 Parganas and Birbhum.

While tight security arrangements had been made from Dankuni to Singur on the National Highway 2, civil-dress clad police personnel had also been posted, according to the SP.

Mr Mishra further informed that efforts would aim at ensuring free passage of the President's convoy scheduled to visit tomorrow at Uttarpara, 25 km from here, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Jai Krishna Library.

High level police officials were reportedly holding meetings among themselves to discuss their strategies, while a war-like ambience began to pervade Singur.

Meanwhile, the setting up of 21 temporary platforms from Shahanapara of Gopalnagar to Joy Molla, over a distance of three km, had kept the Trinamool Congress workers busy for staging dharna from tomorrow.

While Ms Banerjee would sit on platform number eight for dharna, platform numbers seven and nine would be occupied by Samajwadi Party chief Amar Singh and Pragatishil Indira Congress chief Somen Mitra respectively.

Singur Krishi Jami Rakkha Commitee convenor Becharam Manna said the stir would continue unless their demand for returning 400 acre of land from the Tata's Singur project was fulfilled, adding noted author Arundhati Ray, social activists Medha Patekar and noted journalist Kuldeep Nayar were scheduled to register their presence here tomorrow.

The Trinamool Congress workers had started flocking near Tata's small car unit at Singur and they were inspecting ther fellowmen's progress in installing the platforms for an indefinite stir.

Ms Banerjee would sit on the indefinite dharna to press the demand for returning 400 acre of ''forcibly'' acquired land to the ''unwilling'' farmers.

UNI XC SB SJC SP ND1950