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Tatas against disturbing arrangement

KOLKATA: The West Bengal government should not take any steps that will disturb the arrangement that ensures the integral nature of the auto-cluster, consisting of the mother plant and the vendor park, in the upcoming Tata Motors project site at Singur, company managing director Ravi Kant said on Tuesday in a letter to Industries Minister Nirupam Sen.

This was in reply to a letter by Mr. Sen to Mr. Kant on Monday that clarified the government’s position following the previous day’s talks with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and her associates on providing land to the “unwilling” farmers whose plots were acquired for the Tata Motors’ project.

“We have noted your clarification that the government will maintain the integrated nature of the auto-clusters as assured and agreed earlier. Therefore, the government should not take any steps that will disturb this arrangement,” Mr. Kant said.

“We would like to be clearly told about any future arrangements, understandings or commitments that will go contrary to the agreement, and which will result in not honouring the commitments [made to the Tata Motors earlier],” the letter said.

Amid this development, Ms. Banerjee reiterated that the agreement signed on Sunday in the presence of Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi “is final.”

She said:

“In it the government has decided to give maximum land [to the land-losers from whom plots had been forcibly acquired] from the project area and the rest from that adjacent to it [the project site].”

“It is a policy decision made before the Governor, which cannot be violated. We have no confusion on the matter. Both sides are signatories to the agreement.”

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