Centre will not interfere in Singur, till asked: Minister

New Delhi, Sept 3 (UNI) With the Tatas still locked in a row with the Trinamool Congress over the Singur issue, the Centre today once again ruled out any intervention in the matter, saying ''it is none of our business''.

''It is none of our business to intervene,'' Heavy Industries Minister Santosh Mohan Dev told reporters on the sidelines of the annual convention of the Automotive Component Manufacturers' Association (ACMA) here.

''If they come to us, we will intervene. But that the State Government has to decide,'' he said, adding that the parties concerned must come to the negotiating table and resolve the matters amicably.

Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal had last week made a similar remark on the Central Government's role in resolving the Singur deadlock.

Mr Dev said the issue had not been handled properly. ''It is not clear whether the problem was from the government side or from the Tata's side,'' he said.

Trouble started brewing in Singur after the State Government in West Bengal acquired 997 acres of land for the Tata Motors project to manufacture the world's cheapest car 'Nano' and for ancillary units.

A section of farmers, supposed to be the owners of about 400 acres of the acquired land, had refused to part with the same.

The State's main opposition-- Trinamool Congress, had since taken up their cause, disrupting work at the site.

Tata Motors yesterday announced its decision to stall work at the plant and said they were looking at alternative sites for the project outside West Bengal, although Rs 1,500 crore had already been invested for the same.

Several other States in the country and even the government in neighbouring Sri Lanka have offered to host the car factory.

UNI TEAM SG AS1618