'Nano', hope for Gujarat, regret for West Bengal

Ahmedabad/Singur, Oct 8 : While Gujarat is rejoicing over Tata Motors decision to shift its ultra low-cost Nano car plant to Sanand near Ahmedabad, residents in Singur are regretting that the makers had to pull out of West Bengal because of violent protests.

Residents in Ahmedabad said that this decision would mean more industrialization for the state.

"There are lots of opportunities for development because Tata is a very large company. So, there is a lot of opportunity for the common people in Gujarat. So the development of Gujarat, I hope it will grow," said Jignish Acharya, a resident.

Others feel that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has managed to laid his hands on a golden goose. They believe that Nano would prove an economic boon for the state.

"It is a very good plan. Modi has done a good job by getting Nano into Gujarat. With Nano coming here, the employment opportunities will grow in Gujarat," said Parth Shah, another resident.

But for the thousands of people in Singur in West Bengal who had got employment in some way or the other in the small car Nano plant, the consequences of a Tata pullout is causing utter frustration to them.

Blaming Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for the agitation what they are now calling as the 'anti-development', they said that they have lost out a big battle and would hurt the economy of the state.

"This is a problematic situation for us. We the people of Singur want Tata to stay here and set up the Nano project here. But the forces which are trying to hinder the industrialization of the state, which are trying to oppose the development of our state, which are trying to oppose the employment generation of our state has created this conspiracy and as a result of that, the Nano factory has been shifted to Gujarat," said Pradip, a resident.

Tata Motors on Friday pulled out of West Bengal, where violent protests by farmers unhappy with the compensation for their land had forced the firm to suspend work on its factory for more than a month.

ANI