Bengal govt takes hold of Singur Nano factory

Kolkata, Jun 24: West Bengal's Trinamool Congress government is edging towards return of land from the disputed site in Singur, even as it fights a legal battle in Calcutta high court.

On Thursday, Jun 24 the Hooghly administration almost took over the Tata Nano factory. Inventory of the articles inside the abandoned site were also conducted. Industries minister Partha Chatterjee said: "The process (of returning land) is under way. Let us wait and see what happens."

On Tuesday, Jun 21 after asking possession of the Singur factory complex, the district administration got its act together, initiating inventory work on Thursday, Jun 23. Since morning, no local was seen around as policemen (some 591 of them) took control. The rejoicing villagers and the mobs that stole iron rods and other materials from the compound on Wednesday had disappeared. About 40 staff members of the Singur BDO office, district land acquisition offices (DLO) in Singur and Chinsurah walked in after the police vacated six rooms inside the factory complex. These were used as welding, paint and engine shops when the factory was operational. The officials will be living inside the factory from now on - as will the policemen.

Hooghly SP, Tanmoy Roy Chowdhury said that around 600 policemen were posted inside the factory.

Police on Thursday arrested one person from Bablaband area as he was carrying away bricks from the factory site. Police and officers from the district administration spoke to villagers asking them to maintain law and order.

Basudeb Das of Purba Para in Beraberi village, said, "We are sure we'll get our land back." But Udayan Das, a land-loser and member of the Singur Silpa Sthapan O Unnayan Committee, that has joined the Tatas in the court battle, said, "If the Tatas don't return, we shall demand our land back." He was one of those who had "willingly" parted with his land, for the sake of the Tata project.

OneIndia News