Bs Reporter / Singur August 25, 2008, 0:12 IST

Allegedly owned by CPI(M) promoters, it is not cultivated, says Trinamool leader. Rally turnout lower than expected.

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee suggested earmarking 500 acres of land opposite the controversial Tata Motors factory site to make the "people's car', the Nano, in Singur for the project.

Kozhikode: Industries Minister Elamaram Karim has said that the State government is not in the race for Tata Motors' Nano project.

"The government is not in favour of snatching a project of another State. Our party [the Communist Party of India-Marxist] is trying to amicably settle the issue,' Mr. Karim told The Hindu here on Sunday.

He said the government did not want unhealthy competition among the States. "However, Tata Motors is wholeheartedly welcome to the State if the company has fresh ideas. If they approach, we are ready to host a new project,' he said.

KOLLAM: Kerala Congress (B) chairman R Balakrishna Pillai has called upon the State Government to follow the West Bengal model in allotting Special Economic Zones in the state.

Speaking at a news conference here on Friday, he said the LDF Government could follow the criteria adopted by their West Bengal counterparts in allotting the SEZs. Instead of allotting thousand acre, the state should allot small holdings up to 50 or 100 acres for setting up SEZs, he said.

Marcus Dam

KOLKATA: Amid elaborate security arrangements, the Trinamool Congress and its allies on Sunday launched an indefinite agitation outside the Tata Motors' car project site at Singur in West Bengal's Hooghly district.

"The

BY PARWEZ HAFEEZ
KOLKATA

West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Saturday said that the first Nano car will roll out in October. Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday reiterated that unless 400 acres of 1,000 acres, was returned to the unwilling farmers, she would not lift the siege of the Tata Motors' small car plant at Singur. The situation is extremely fluid and it is not yet possible to say whether the Tatas will shift the Nano project to some other state.

BY SUBRATA CHATTOPADHYAY
KOLKATA

Apparently rattled by the huge success of Trinamul Congress-led siege of the Tata Motor's site at Singur, the ruling CPI(M) has come up with a plan B formula to offer the belligerent Mamata Banerjee. In its desperate bid to placate Ms Banerjee, the CPI(M) satraps are contemplating the idea of acquiring 400-acres land at an alternative site.

BY DIBYAJYOTI CHAUDHURI
SINGUR
Led by Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, thousands of people on Sunday laid an indefinite siege of the Tata Motos' Nano project site at Singur in Hooghly. Twenty-one dharna platforms were erected along the boundary wall of the factory for what Ms Banerjee described as a "peaceful satyagraha'. Belying apprehensions, there was no incident of vandalism or violence although thousands of angry protesters converged on the site. The exemplary restraint demonstrated by the police also averted a confrontation.

Centre to fully fund computerisation
Cost of survey to be equally shared

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the merger of two Centrally-sponsored schemes, Strengthening of Revenue Administration and Updating of Land Records (SRA and ULR) and Computerisation of Land records (CLR), and its replacement with the modified National Land Records Modernisation Programme (NLRMP).

KOLKATA: Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata has expressed anxiety in the wake of the call for an indefinite agitation by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee from August 24 demanding return of 400 acres of land which, she alleged, was forcibly acquired from farmers for the Tata car project at Singur.

West Bengal Industries Minister Nirupam Sen called on Mr. Tata here late in the evening on Thursday to discuss the developments.

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: The Tata Motors authorities have sent a letter to the West Bengal government, stating that they require over 997 acres to set up the automobile manufacturing project and ancillary units in Singur, Industries Minister Nirupam Sen said on Thursday.

The letter was in response to a clarification sought by the government on a letter the company had sent to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on the project.

Ms. Banerjee had highlighted a paragraph in the letter that between 600 and 650 acres was required for the car plant.