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Mamata to send emissaries for talks on Singur

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will be sending two of her party colleagues for talks with the West Bengal government on Wednesday over her demand that a portion of land her party believes had been forcibly acquired for the setting up of the Tata Motors automobile project at Singur be returned to its owners.

This comes in response to a letter she received from Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Monday inviting her or any of her representatives for talks with either him or the Industries Minister.

In his letter, Mr. Bhattacharjee emphasised the importance of the project and that he had come to learn of her plans to launch an agitation outside the project site from August 24.

Ms. Banerjee, however, said that she would not budge from her plans to organise sit-ins outside the premises of the project from August 24 until 400 acres of land allegedly acquired from local peasants without their consent was handed back to them.

Amar Singh, general secretary of the Samajwadi Party, will be joining the Trinamool agitation. Mr. Singh conveyed his decision to the State leadership of the Samajwadi Party here on Monday, a statement issued by the party said.

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