Mamata launches indefinite stir at Singur, moots a proposal

SINGUR: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday launched an indefinite agitation by thousands of protestors outside Tata Motors Nano plant demanding return of 400 acres of land to farmers, as she mooted a proposal to end the impasse that threatened to derail the car project.

Banerjee told a huge gathering from the dharna platform near the plant here that there could be a peaceful solution by utilising alternate low-lying land for the vendor park .

"There is a 500 acre low-lying land near the project site where the ancilliary units can come up and the government can decide on it. If the government agrees, we will show it to them," she said

The area around the Tata Motors Nano car plant was turned into a fortress with massive deployment of security while the Trinamool set up 21 camps around the factory to house the protestors.

As the CPI-M led West Bengal government tried to salvage the situation by offering to hold talks, Mamata rejected West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's proposal that the government was ready with a package and wanted dialogue.

"That is an old proposition. That will not solve the problem," the TC chief said when asked about the proposal.

At the dharna, she repeatedly appealed that it should remain totally peaceful and that her party did not want the Tatas to leave but to restrict its small car factory at Singur to 600 acres of land.

Samajwadi leader Amar Singh and social activist Medha Patkar also threw their weight behind Mamata's campaign and addressed the protestors.

There were several attempts by a small group of people to rush towards the heavily-guarded boundary walls of the Tata Motors' small car plant but appeals by Banerjee made them turn back.