Villagers veto sale of grazing land to Mundra SEZ - report by Mahesh Langa

Mamata Banerjee has announced fresh agitations at Singur and Nandigam demanding action against Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, CPM secretary Biman Bose and senior party leader Benoy Konar who, she alleged, were responsible for Tapashi Mallick's killing at Singur and the carnage at Nandigram on March 14 when the police and CPM cadres gunned down 14 farmers.

Tata Power and Reliance Energy are unable to bring the development the 1,600 mw and 4,000-mw power projects on fast track, thanks to the Maharashtra government's dillydallying over expediting the land acquisition process of these projects. The government, though, was striving to meet the ever increasing power demand in the state was not eager to push through land acquisition process at the cost of its survival. It took three years since the state government signed an MoU on April 4, 2005, to streamline the land acquisition process.

After suffering reverses in panchayat polls in several districts of West Bengal, the CPI (M) on Thursday said industrialisation in the state would continue, though steps to acquire land would be taken "cautiously". "The process of industrialisation will continue. However, we have to take steps cautiously (to acquire land) and decide on where industries would be set up," party Politburo member Biman Bose told reporters here. Mr Bose, who is here to attend the Central Committee meeting, said, "We have to take the people into confidence and move forward."

NANDIGRAM: After suffering prolonged violence for nearly one-and-half years, victims in the strife-torn areas of Nandigram finally heard some good news from Trinamul Congress leaders today. The Trinamul leaders today announced that they would compensate villagers whose houses were vandalised during the violence. The party also pledged to provide employment to at least one member from each family who lost a member either in police firing or in the clashes.

Governor Lt Gen S K Sinha and Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today described shrinking agricultural land in the state a grave issue and emphasized the need to go for research-oriented agri-practices to increase productivity. While addressing to second convocation of SKUAST-J, Chief Minister, who is also the Pro- Chancellor of the varsity, maintained that in J&K, there is great scope for agriculture but unfortunately, the land-holdings here are almost negligible. "Almost 75 percent of the area comes under forests

THE expanded farm debt waiver plan cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday is unlikely to bring cheer to the farmers in Vidarbha, the ground zero of agrarian crisis in the state.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee reiterated here on Monday her demand that the 400 acres of land that she claims had been acquired from peasants in Singur without their consent for the setting up of the Tata Motors' car manufacturing project there should be returned to their owners. She scoffed at veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu's remark on Sunday that any attempt to sabotage the project would send the message to the people that the Trinamool Congress is against development.

Hooghly police have decided to double the deployment of the force at the Tata Motors project site here following a request from the company. The request had been made after the Trinamul Congress routed the CPM here in the rural polls, bagging 15 of the 16 gram panchayat seats, the panchayat samiti and all three zilla parishad berths. Colonel (retd) Sunirmal Patra, a divisional manager of the Tata project, and representatives of several ancillary units met superintendent of police Rajeev Mishra last evening.

Calangute Front for Responsible Tourism has resolved to oppose mega projects in the village. On the call given by the Calangute Front for Responsible Tourism, people of all walks of life assembled at St Alex Church compound on Monday, to show their solidarity for the meet.