Singur impasse: CM invites Mamta for direct talks

Singur, Aug 25: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said she would reply soon to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's letter inviting her for a dialogue on the Singur issue. Mr Bhattacharjee sent another letter to the Trinamool chief to hold talks with the government so that the political problem over land acquisition for the Tata Motors small car project could be amicably sorted out.

Ms Banerjee launched an indefinite dharna from on Sunday, Aug 24, demanding return of 400 acres of land to the farmers. The correspondence was handed over to Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Partha Chatterjee by Additional SP(Hooghly) Debashish Boral at the dharna manch here.

After receiving the letter, Ms Banerjee said her statement would be conveyed soon after having discussions with the leaders of various parties like SUCI, JD(U), Samajwadi Party and Marxist Forward Bloc, who had thrown their weight behind the Trinamool Congress' indefinite movement.

Meanwhile, the blockade by the party supporters on National Highway Two near here had virtually led Kolkata cut off from Burdwan, Asansol and Durgapur, as the vehicles had to detour to the locations through Delhi Road.

The blockade, put up since Sunday, had almost rendered the Delhi Road overcrowded with the queues of stranded vehicles.

UNI