The Tata Motors have made it clear through a press release today (8th September’2008) that the truce made between the Government and Mamata Banerjee on Sunday the 7th September’08 is not clear to them and they would not resume work till it is assured that once the work started simultaneously both in the mother plant and the vendor park, it will not be interrupted any more and that the safety of its employees are ensured cent per cent.
They have further made it clear that the mother plant and vendor park are integral to the whole project and cannot be seen in isolation.
A truce was reached yesterday between the Bengal Government and Mamata Banerjee at the following terms and conditions:-
- The area of 645 acres under mother plant will not be disturbed and Tata motors will be free to resume work immediately on this stretch to complete the plant.
- Work in the area earmarked (290acres) for vendor development would remain suspended for (at least) next seven days.
- A committee comprising four members would study this stretch (of vendor park) to decide how maximum of this area can be recovered from Tata Motors and returned to the unwilling farmers. Once this is decided then only work on vendor park area would be allowed (obviously in a limited way as a portion would be earmarked for returning to farmers).
- An area of 47 acres inside the project area, earmarked for rehabilitation of poor farmers by the state government may also be utilized for returning to unwilling farmers (i.e. farmers who were not ready to give their land to Tata Motors).
- An area of 15 acres inside the project area but earmarked for electrical substation may also be utilized for returning to unwilling farmers and the substation may be relocated outside the project area.
- The committee of four would also explore the possibility of acquiring land outside the project area but adjacent to it for returning to the unwilling farmers.
Obviously it is the 290 acres of vendor park that is irritating Tatas who are in no mood to accept relocation of vendor park in any way.
Mamata has time and again said that the vendor park is to be shifted to return land to the unwilling farmers.
After the uneasy truce reached between government and Mamata, thanks to 18 grueling hours spent by the governor Mr. Gopal Krishna Gandhi, she has said to the congregation at Singur that 200 to 300 acres of land ( mostly from the vendor park) would be returned to the unwilling farmers and that she is suspending the siege for the present and would resort to agitation again if the agreement reached is not applied in letter and spirit.
It is this assertion of Mamata and the clause regarding Vendor Park that has compelled Tata Motors not to start work now.
Therefore the situation remains volatile and a war of attrition has been started by Tatas and the ball is in the court of Mamata Banerjee now.
It is for the general information for readers that this reporter resides barely 25 km from Tata Motors project at Singur and is in a position to give his views on the happenings as and when needed by groundreport contributors.