Cops on alert after blast at Tata site

KOLKATA: An explosion of a crude bomb, coupled with the discovery of several unexploded bomb-like devices near the boundary wall at the site of Tata Motors’ proposed small car factory in Singur on Sunday has put authorities in that vicinity on high alert.

According to a source, “The local police discovered a number of unexploded bomb-like devices from the site. Following this, a bomb disposal squad was called to the job and it managed to recover these devices.

According to preliminary findings of the local police authorities, these appear to be serious explosive devices that can only be put togther by people well-trained in such jobs. The police have called for bomb experts to ascertain and confirm the nature of these explosive devices.”

“A major incident /damage would have taken place had any of these explosive devices gone off, according to police estimates,” the source added.

Tata Motors official spokesperson told the media that the bomb which went off did not cause any major damage except for leaving a hole at the base of a section of the boundary wall. “The incident apparently did not hinder work on plastering the wall that had been taken up since morning.”

Asked whether the latest episode was causing panic or a scare, a senior Tata Motors official said: “There’s no reason to panic. We feel protected as long as the police and the administration is with us.”

Elaborating, he said: “We are carrying out work on civil infrastructure at the site. It being a Sunday, there is a somewhat smaller workforce at the site.

Work on building the basic infrastructure of the mother plant is being taken up. Apart from road infrastructure within the factory premises, four major individual units of the car factory will be constructed at first.”

The four units are engine shop, fabrication shop, paint shop and press shop. These require construction and laying of deep concrete plinth that will also form the foundation of the engineering shops.

rakhi.mazumdar@timesgroup.com