Date:09/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/09/stories/2007060906751200.htm

National

Singur: State Government studying Mamata's demand

Special Correspondent

She wants land acquired from peasants returned to them

Jyoti Basu hopeful of solution to the problem

Left Front leaders to meet on Saturday

KOLKATA: The West Bengal Government is studying the feasibility of returning land acquired from peasants without their consent for the Tata Motors car project at Singur as being demanded by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.

Veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, who was informed of the demand by Ms. Banerjee at a meeting between the two leaders earlier this week, expressed the hope that a solution could be found.

"We want a solution [to the problem] but how do I know what they [Trinamool Congress] will do," Mr. Basu asked.

Ms. Banerjee has threatened to continue her stir against the Singur project until land belonging to peasants, who had handed over their plots against their wishes, is returned.

There are nearly 300 peasants who have not given their consent to the acquisition, she has said.

There are "legal points" that need to be looked into regarding the return of such land and Industries Minister Nirupam Sen is "listing the points", Mr. Basu said here on Friday. "Let us see what happens".

On providing the affected peasants alternative land, Mr. Basu said: "There is not much alternative land available there." Land might be available elsewhere "but why should they [the peasants of Singur] go there?"

The matter reportedly came up for discussion at a meeting of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretariat earlier in the day. It was the first such meeting after the talks between Mr. Basu and Ms. Banerjee when the latter was told that the issues being raised by her needed to be discussed with both the State Government and the Tata Motors.

Mr. Basu had spoken to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Left Front Committee Chairman Biman Bose about Ms. Banerjee's demands.

Peace process

Leaders of the Left Front will meet here on Saturday to discuss the stalemate over the setting up of the Tata Motors car project as well as ways to carry forward the peace process at Nandigram. The possibility of holding a second round of all-party talks to hasten the return of normality in the area will also be discussed.

Over the past two days, nearly 50 persons have returned to their homes, which they fled since the start of violence in Nandigram in early January, according to Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy.