Such is the working style of top industrialists that Ratan Tata finalized relocation of Nano Project at SANAND (meaning ‘with pleasure’), 35 Km west of state capital Ahmedabad in Gujrat (just like Singur was 35Km from Calcutta), with lightning speed within four days of announcing withdrawal from Singur on 3rd October’08. ‘From bad M to good M’ said Ratan Tata, presumably meaning bad M stands for Mamata Banerjee and good M for Modi, the Gujrat Chief Minister (CM).
Answering to reporters questions Tata said, he choose Gujrat because of the lightening speed with which the Gujrat government acted, especially in allocating land, giving full credit to Gujrat CM Modi.
Incidentally Gujrat has allotted 1100 acres of land-100 acres more than Bengal did at Singur- out of the 2200 acres that Anand Agricultural University currently possess, on outright sell basis at the rate of prevailing market rate which is around Rs.25 lakh (USD 55000) per acre. So the land does not needed to be acquired.
Elaborating further Tata said the Nano is expected to roll out soon, albeit from existing plants (meaning Pantnagar and Pune plants) since it would require some time to bring equipments from Singur. Even structures would also be dismantled and transported.
On 4th October, the revenue department issued notifications to acquire 60 acres of land in Chharodi and Vasna villages for constructing a one-kilometer approach road to the Nano project connecting NH-8. The government got the farmers on their side by paying a fantastic Rs.45 lakhs (USD 100000) per acre as compensation.
Just a contrast to Singur, Nazir Khan the Sarpanch (local body head) of Chhoradi village, who himself sold 0.67 acres for road said, “We are happy to sell our land for approach road as we feel the project would generate huge employment opportunities for the state and will transform our village life.”
Now is the time for a little historical twist to the happenings in Sanand. Jamshedji Tata, the founder of Tata Group and the first Indian Industrialist in true sense, donated a princely sum of Rs.1000 during the famine in Sanand in 1899-1900 to save cattle. A stone plaque bearing the name of Senior Tata and the amount he donated, along with the names of other donors have been erected at Sanand.
Geographically Sanand is situated near the proposed Dholera Port, part of the Delhi- Mumbai freight corridor and would help Tatas to a hassle free export of these cars in future.