From correspondents in West Bengal, India, 09:01 PM IST
West Bengal Transport Minister Subhash Chakraborty Monday said a fresh agreement was ready to be signed between the state government and a corporate house to set up an industry at the Nano project site at Singur - recently abandoned by automobile major Tata Motors following protests.
'An agreement will be inked between a corporate house and the state government October 31,' Chakraborty told reporters here, declining to divulge the name of the business house.
Earlier, the senior state Communist party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader said the Singur site would soon be handed over to a car manufacturer.
'Just wait for six months. You will find another car factory coming up there for which we have already started preparations. It will take one to two months for us to sort out the legal complications and administrative matters,' Chakraborty told a private Bengali television channel Sunday.
He said the preparatory work for the factory had already been started.
Asked about the land issue and the farmers' protest led by opposition Trinamool Congress to get back 400 acres inside the Singur project area, Chakraborty said: 'The company, which is coming to set up industry at Singur, is already aware of the ongoing problem.'
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Whether it is for a plant for making car s or other products, any investor looking at the same Singur location will be doubly wary while taking a decision. This is because the agreement that the WB minister talks about does NOT include the aggrieved section of owners of the land before whom the Tatas felt obliged to quit. Logically speaking, Ms Mamata Bannerjee will spearhead an agitation at any stage of the project if another investor comes and sets up a plant there.
Honorable Mr Subhash Chakraborty is merely ducking the grave issue of the disputed land, and as such seems to be just putting up a brave front visavis the lost Nano project. In his mood, he forgets whether such a project, situated at a far off corner will have a competitive sales advantage when so many car plants are situated in more strategic locations in India.
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