Trucks ply again on Durgapur highway

Kolkata, Sept 2 : Trucks stranded on the Durgapur highway resumed their services today, after the blockade by the Trinamool Congress was partially removed.

The truck drivers on the National highway faced a tough time as the locals protesting against the allotment of 400 acres of land to Ratan Tata's small car project 'Nano' at Singur, blocked the highway since Sunday.

Policemen were deployed along the highway to supervise the smooth passage of the trucks and other vehicles.

"We are trying to smoothen the flow of traffic. The situation is normal now," said Rajeev Mishra, Superintendent of Police, Hooghly district.

For Tata Motors, India's top vehicle maker, trouble started after the state's Left party government took over farmland for the factory. The state offered compensation in return, but some villagers complained that they did not receive their dues.

Others opposing displacement declined to accept compensation, many of them were farmers with small land holdings.

"If an all party meeting can really help to sort out the problem here at Singur, an all party meeting has to be organised by the Chief Minister," said Biman Bose, Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to reporters in Kolkata.

Around 400 acres of land is still being fiercely disputed out of about 1,000 acres acquired by the government for the car making plant.

Meanwhile, Tata Motors head Ratan Tata has threatened to shift out the plant from the state if violent protests continue, despite having invested 350 million dollars in the project so far. The plant is seen as a test of the communist government's resolve to industrialize the state.

Tata Motor's decision to move out of West Bengal has already been welcomed by some other states, which are willing to give it land for setting up the plant in their regions.

ANI