11 ''unwilling farmers'' have accepted compensation package: DM

Singur, Sep 19 (UNI) Hooghly District Magistrate Neelam Meena today announced that eleven of the ''unwilling farmers'' had accepted the new compensation package offered by the state government for the land losers and collected their cheques from the DM's office.

Addressing a press conference here, Ms Meena said, ''Altogether 11 of the unwilling farmers have collected their cheques so far and another 25 have submitted applications to the DM's office for redeeming their cheques. The stipulated compensation will be handed over to them after verifying their authenticity,'' she added.

The cheque distribution according to the new compensation package offered by the state government started today.

The state government had recently declared a compensation package for the Singur land losers promising an extra payout of 50 per cent on the price given for the land acquired for the Tata Motors' Nano car project.

It has set September 22 as the deadline for gaining a further 10 per cent incentive and assured that one member of each family, having no other source of income, would be given a job while the unregistered sharecroppers and agricultural labourers would get 300 days' wages at one go.

However, the Trinamool Congress alleged that supporters of the CPI(M) were forcing Singur famers to accept the government's new compensation package for land losers.

Talking to mediapersons in Kolkata, Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee alleged that two farmers, who were unwilling to accept compensation package, were beaten up by CPI(M) supporters this morning.

Sticking to the demand for return of 300 acres to farmers from inside the small car project area, the Trinamool has rejected the state government's rehabilitation package.

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