Govt likely to hold meeting with Tata Motors on Sep 28

Kolkata, Sep 26 (UNI) Amid speculations of an impending pull out by the Tatas from Singur, the West Bengal government is likely to hold a meeting with Tata Motors on Sunday as Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today requested Mr.Ratan Tata not to quit.

"The Chief Minister has written to the Tatas calling for a meeting on Sunday. However, we are yet to receive confirmation from their side," Industry Minister Nirupam Sen told reporters.

In a last ditch effort to retain the Nano project in West Bengal, the state government is expected to try to persuade the Tata Motors officials not to say good bye to Singur because of the political stalemate. The Government is also likely to promise all administrative support to Tata Motors for resuming work which remained suspended nearly for a month following a sustained agitation by the Trinamool Congress-led opposition demanding a large chunk of land to be returned to the land losers.

"The Chief Minister has written to Mr.Ratan Tata requesting him to restart work at the Nano plant at Singur. There might be some people who were creating problems but that is not the voice of all the people and we want to convey it to the Tatas," the Industry Minister said.

Yesterday, the state Cabinet decided to request the Tatas in this regard promising all possible cooperation and assistance from the government.

The Cabinet had also appealed to the opposition to accept the compensation and rehabilitation package for the Singur land losers giving up its land for land demand.

But reiterating that the government must return 400 acres of land, including 300 acres from within the small car project area, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee demanded shifting of the vendors park of the Tata Motors from its present site to the opposite side of the Durgapur expressway.

Addressing a rally at Singur, Ms.Banerjee claimed that there was no need for the project to have 950 acres of area as the factory was possible to be set up only on 600 acres.

She also alleged that the area earmarked for ancillary units would be utilised for playing golf and setting up of beauty parlours.

Pointing that the project was of integrated nature and the mother plant was inseparable from ancillary units, the state government and the Tatas had said carving out of a large chunk of land, as demanded by Ms. Banerjee, was not possible since it would negate the whole project.

UNI KDG ADG AB 2001