Mamata budges after Governor’s intervention
At the intervention of West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday i.e. 31 Aug 2008, budged from her inflexible stand and agreed to come to the talks table. Following Governor’s letter to Mamata, a Krishi Jami Raksha Committee (KJRC) team met the Governor on Sunday. Shortly afterwards, Mamata announced in Singur she was ready for talks. But Trinamool Chief stuck to her stand that land must be returned to unwilling farmers, but hinted that that the figure of 400 acres was not NON-Negotiable. Mamata also promised that the panchayats in Singur, which is under Trinamool, would help find alternative land for the ancillary units opposite the Tata Motors factory site. When KJRC delegation led by opposition leader Partha Chatterjee met the Governor, he suggested that talks start with the help of a “neutral intermediary” and that farmers who had lost land could also participate in the talks.
The Governor’s intervention has given the Trinamool leader the opportunity she had been looking for to come to an honorable settlement. A relieved state government gave indications the talks could start forthwith. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said at public meeting in Netaji Indoor Stadium that he was ready to hold talks with the opposition. At a meeting of Left Front it was decided an all party meeting would be convened on Tuesday.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Durgapur Expressway Blockade continues despite High Court Order
Honourable Calcutta High Court
Honorable Calcutta High Court has stepped in to clear Durgapur Expressway, but Mamata Banerjee has refused to budge an inch. The high court directed NHAI to ensure free movement of vehicles with the help of State or Centre. The Trinamool chief vowed to go ahead with the agitation, despite the request of Hooghly District Magistrate Neelam Meena and SP Rajiv Mishra to allow traffic movements. Work on Friday inside plant came to a halt with none of the 800 –odd engineers, executive and workers reporting for work. Those who turned up was threatened and asked to leave.
Surprisingly, Mamata is not willing to take responsibility for others like Anuradha Talwar and Purrnendu Bose, who harassed the engineers and workers the day before to shutdown the plant.
Ace Lawyer and former Union minister Satyabrata Mukherjee ruled out the return of 400 acres of land. He said “The government has acquired 997.11 acres for a public purpose. The division bench of Calcutta High Court has upheld the acquisition as also the public purpose clause. How can the government or the Tatas, who are the lessee, return the land?” Advocate Amitava Ghosh cited the Supreme Court verdict pertaining to land acquisition in Kerala (AIR 1997 SC 2703) that land remaining unutilized after achieving for a public purpose should be put to public auction and can’t be returned to it’s former owner. He also pointed out to Supreme Court ruling to land acquisition in Andhra Pradesh (AIR 2005 SC 492) which says the government can withdraw from acquiring any land but can’t return the land to the owner once it has taken possession. Lawyer Kalyan Banerjee believes return of land from the factory compound is legal and possible, but he did not mentioned any legal means. The apparent mismatch between Mamata’s moral high ground and the legal feasibility of her demands is her own creation. Although Kalyan Banerjee is optimistic about returning land to farmers, at the best government will give pattas to farmers on the land, not ownership.
As the agitation entered its sixth day, city hospitals are facing shortage of medical supply. Consignments are stranded on Durgapur expressway due to the blockade by Trinamool supporters. AMRI, Saltlake, was faced with shortage of live saving drugs. Palash Biswas, general manager, operations, AMRI said “This was inevitable. Our life saving drugs are running out fast. If supplies don’t arrive fast, we will be in trouble.” CMRI also apprehending a crisis that there stock will run out in next three days. Others like Ruby General Hospital and Apollo Hospital were facing a shortage as well.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Does Mamata Banerjee want to shutdown Tata Nano Singur Plant?
Mamata Banerjee has been voicing provocative speeches to instigate Trinamool supporters to cause vandalism in Singur. She has reneged on her promise of peaceful protest. From today, no Tata employee will be allowed to enter the Nano Plant. The announcement came from Naxalite leader Purnendu Bose, who is now with Krishi Jami Raksha Committee. The arm-twisting tactics by Mamata Banerjee is aimed at bringing the state government to its knees and accept Trinamool Congress demand of returning 400 acres to unwilling farmers.
Yesterday, buoyed by the presence of student members of her party at Nano site, she blasted Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. Taking a cue, agitators hurled abuses at Tata employees inside the compound. When a convoy of six buses carrying engineers drove out of Vendor 4 gate at 4 pm, the protestors leaded by Anuradha Talwar, blocked the road and barracked the employees. Three of the buses managed to get way, but three other was confined inside the plant for hours until police rescued them. No work was done in the evening shift at the plant. Even Trinamool supporters threatened workers and asked them not to join work on Friday.
After Sunday’s mammoth turnout at Singur, the number of agitators had begun to thin. This is simply because on Sunday Trinamool leaders had packed buses with poor people mostly from slums by giving them temptation of free food and even in some cases free money. I know this because our house maid servant had joined this rally on Sunday for food and money. Yesterday, after days Trinamool congress had a lot of supporters because of Trinamool Chatra Parisad members. They joined the rally around 11 am.
Mamata Banerjee even asked people to boycott regional dailies like Ananda Bazar Patrika and local television channels like Star Ananda and 24 Ghanta, because they were showing that her agitation has stand stilled traffic in Durgapur Expressway and the nearby districts like Burdwan was suffering. Trinamool supporters also tried to heckle the journalists present at the agitation site.
A state BJP delegation which met Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya on Thursday to discuss Singur imbroglio, supported the government in issue of industrialization. BJP said they didn’t support Mamata’s agitation or demand of returning 400 acres. This seemed to be in line with Mamata’s increasing polarity towards Congress before the next Lok Sabha elections.
Alarmed by the Singur imbroglio, the captains of industry have appealed to the government and the opposition to see reasons. S.K. Todi, Chairman of Shrachi group said, “For the interests of Bengal’s citizens, it is very important that the Singur crisis is resolved. I know industrialists abroad are watching the developments. We have to do something immediately as the time is running out”.
“There are many here who will be glad if the compensation amount is hiked. But most of us can not say so in public as it is contrary to the demand put forward by the Krishi Jami Raksha Committee leadership. Some political parties don’t want the matter to be resolved till the next general elections next year” said a land loser. Karna Ghosh, a Trinamool supporter does not subscribe to the leader’s view that Tatas should pack up if the disputed land is not returned. He said “It’s not a practical demand. I too was against selling my multi-crop plot. But when I realized that I can not save my land anymore, I formed syndicate to supply building material to the factory. Others have found different ways to earn a living.” Satyaprakash Das of Sahana Para does not want Tata Nano Plant to be shifted else where. He said “I don’t know how much Bengal will suffer but Singur will be pushed back a 100 years.”
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Singur agitation takes a toll on investments in West Bengal
Work at Tata Motors Nano Plant in Singur
Agitation in Singur has hit the construction work in Singur. Only 20 % of construction workers are present at the site. Mamata’s threat to intensify the agitation has increased the worries of officers and engineers working in the factory. Tata Motors officials admit that some of workers have said that it is not possible for them to join work. A senior Tata Motors official said “Many of them have come from outside and are not used to such agitation. Their family members are also feeling scared and don’t want them to come to work. With every passing day, the situation is turning grim.”
Tata Motors recent statement to pull out from Singur has put question mark on Bharat Forge’s investment of Rs. 65000 million to set up a steel plant. Bharat Forge had signed an MoU with state government encouraged by Tata Motors Nano Car project. Not only Bharat Forge, a whole lot of investors had come to West Bengal because of Tata Nano Car Project. All these projects will be at stake if Tata pulls out. Similar uncertainties are prevalent over Tractors India Limited and Radial Tyres. Moreover Tata may also quit projects like Tata Realty Infrastructure, Tata Metaliks, Hoogly Met Coke and Power and Maithon Power Limited. Investors who have already signed MoU prefer to wait and watch. If Tata pulls out it will severely damage Brand Bengal.
At this juncture it is interesting to know whether at all Trinamool Chief’s demand is feasible and legal. The demand of returning 400 acres back to unwilling farmers by the Trinamool Chief, Mamata Banerjee is eyewash to the people. The demand of returning 400 acres back to farmers is illegal under Indian law. The Government of West Bengal in its land acquisition notification has said the land in Singur is taken for public use under public expense for employment generation and socio-economic development. In that notification the Government never said that land was to be given to Tata Motors. The land acquisition was made by government or government undertaking or development authority. In 1997, The Honorable Supreme Court of India has passed a judgment in a case between Government of Kerala vs. Pillai that once a land is taken by the government for public use it cannot be returned back. At the most it can only be used for some other public use or auctioned. Moreover even if the land is returned to farmers the land has become uncultivable after the construction work, so the farmers are set to lose anyway. Trinamool chief should stop public agitation for returning the land, instead should force government to pay a higher compensation package to landowners and share crop cultivators. All efforts should be made for betterment of people and not to gain political mileage in the next elections.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Solutions to Singur Deadlock
Industrialist, who owns more than 300 acres of land right opposite the Tata Nano Car plant, has no issues handing it over to government to solve Singur deadlock. As of now, 25 firms of the total 55 ancillaries, which were allotted land within the fenced-off Tata Motors compound, have started construction. These include Amtek Auto, Caparo Engineering, Kinetic Engineering, Bosch, Lucas TVS, Exide, Tata Ryerson, Lumax and Sona Kayo. It can be decided that the remaining 30 ancillary units can be relocated to the huge stretch opposite Tata Motors plant. The government can then auction the land and distribute the profits to land-losers and farmers or it can also be given free to those affected. The government can also relocate unwilling land-losers to 300 acre plot. But a lot depends on what Trinamool Chief decides. It is an uphill task but Mamata Banerjee should decide to it soon, if we have to save industry in West Bengal. The industry as a whole feels that the impasse needs to be sorted out as soon as possible. Probably as a consequence of this turmoil, delegations from key German states of Bavaria, Lower Saxony and Baden-Wurttemberg have left Kolkata out of their itinerary during their India visit between August and December, 2008. Bavaria hosts BMW, while the headquarters of Volkswagen are located in Lower Saxony. Baden-Wurttemberg is the home to Daimler and Porsche. Although German investments in West Bengal has increased from 2003, the amount is still meager compared to the amount flowing into traditional hotspots. Today in his address to managing committee members of Assocham, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has announced that he will have sincere efforts to solve Singur problem and also added that he will make every efforts including even speaking against his party dictum to prevent strike in the state so that industry and commerce can flourish.
According to Assocham, the Singur issue has not deterred industrialists from making big ticket investments in the state and the state economy is flourishing. The state saw an investment of Rs.870, 370 million during January to June, 2008. The investors include L&T, Vedanta, Videocon, Emaar, Shyam group, etc
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Singur Deadlock-Alternative Solutions
Trinamool Congress Chief
The Trinamool chief, Mamata Banerjee had her way in Singur. The administration stepped aside as hundreds of Trinamool Congress, SUCI, Naxalite and other opposition supporters including national parties like Samajwadi Party laid siege to Durgapur expressway only 50 meters from Tata Motors Nano Plant. The agitation for returning the 400 acres to farmers also saw some prominent personalities.
The day marked by restraint and measured words from both ruling and opposition parties. By steering clear of any confrontation, both sides are buying time to break the ice on Singur deadlock.
The Trinamool chief came up with a surprise offer to the government, pointing to a patch of land opposite the plant on the other side of Durgapur expressway; she said it could be the site for ancillary units. The plot is around 500 acres and currently owned by real estate developers.
Pushing for Industrialisation
In the mean time, the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government is trying to work out a financial package that would appease Mamata Banerjee. Along with the land for land and land for cash schemes there is third alternative of a pension scheme. All 12,624 land losers affected by Tata Motors Nano Plant land acquisition will benefit. Even sharecroppers and small farmers will get a uniform deal regardless of size of agricultural land holding. The pension scheme is going to cost Rs.100 million per annum to the state exchequer
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My life's vicissitudes................. 