Four-member joint panel to inspect Singur site today

Kolkata, Sept 10 : A four-member committee formed to discuss a land-based solution to compensate farmers in West Bengal will visit Singur today.

After inspecting the TATA Motors' Nano car project site, the committee comprising of Trinamool Congress leaders Rabindranath Bhattacharya, Becharam Manna, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) Managing Director Subrata Gupta and Hooghly District Magistrate Neelam Meena will hold a second meeting. The committee had its first meeting in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The Committee will visit Singur to identify land in and around the project area, said State Commerce and Industries Minister Nirupam Sen after the meeting.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within a week.

Meanwhile, TATA Motors has cautioned the West Bengal Government not to take any steps that might disturb the Nano integrated auto cluster.

As the Trinamool Congress has demanded the return of 300 acres from the Tata project site in Singur, Tata Motors Managing Director Ravi Kant in a letter to the State Government said the company has noted its clarification that it will maintain the integrated nature of the auto cluster, comprising the main plant and ancillary units.

"We will like to be clearly told about those future arrangements, understanding or commitment which will go contrary to the arrangement and which may result in not honouring that commitment," Kant further said in his letter.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee maintained that the task was to locate 300 acres within the project site and 100 acres outside.

She said that there was no confusion in the agreement that was signed on Sunday to end the Singur impasse and it was the duty of the State Government to implement the decision.

On Sunday, West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi had read out a statement signed by the Trinamool Congress and the State Government in which it was agreed that the state Government would make efforts to provide the maximum amount of land to farmers from within the project area, while additional land would be provided from adjacent areas.

Later, a controversy erupted when Mamata interpreted the "maximum land" clause as 300 acres.

TATA Motors then issued a statement that said there was a lack of clarity in the Governor's statement and their decision to suspend work at Singur would not be revoked.

ANI