Date:07/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/07/stories/2008100760210600.htm

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Andhra Pradesh

Tata team visits Wargal site

M. L. Melly Maitreyi

The company zeroes in on Hyderabad, from among the potential sites offered

Wargal in Mulug mandal is 40 km from Hyderabad
1,000 acres of Government land identified

PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

Dreaming big time: Farmers of Wargal village not averse to parting with their land. —

WARGAL (Medak dt.): Senior official of Tata Motors inspected yet another site at Wargal village in Mulug mandal of Medak district, 40 km from Hyderabad, for the proposed Nano car project on Monday.

The Tata company zeroed in on Hyderabad, from among the potential sites offered by the Government in Visakhapatnam, Nellore and Anantapur districts, to explore the possibility of setting up the small car project in Andhra Pradesh apart from considering offers from other States.

Senior GM arrives

Senior General Manager of Tata Motors M. B. Kulkarni flew in here on Monday morning and headed straight for the site from the airport. He was accompanied by Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Executive Director D. Muralidhar Reddy and other officials.

Tata Motors’ Managing Director Ravi Kant and his team visited a 1,000 acre site Seetharampuram village in Shahbad mandal of Ranga Reddy district on Sunday. “As the team is keen about sites 30 km to 40 km away from Hyderabad. “Though yet another site at Buchinelli near Zaheerabad, about 70 km from Hyderabad was also identified, and the team preferred Wargal because of its proximity to the city,” APIIC Managing Director B. P. Acharya told The Hindu. About 1,000 acres of Government land has been identified in Wargal village of which 650 acres is in one block and the remaining in another, but both could be connected by a road, said Mr. Reddy. Mr. Kulkarni reportedly informed APIIC officials that “Wargal too qualified for their requirement”.

Apparently, their criteria was proximity to a metro rather than a sea-port or an airport. Even Singur from where the Tatas pulled out was only 40 km away from Kolkata, Mr. Reddy said.

“Tata Motors officials, who visited the two sites, will convey their impressions to Chairman Mr. Ratan Tata who is expected to take a call in the location of the Nano project soon, though they gave no concrete indication to us,” said Mr. Acharya.