The Hindu Business Line : Don’t disturb auto cluster, Tata Motors tells Bengal

Kolkata, Sept. 9 Tata Motors on Tuesday made it clear to the West Bengal Government that it should not take any step that would disturb the integrated nature of the auto cluster consisting of the mother plant and the vendor park in Singur.

The company also asserted that it be kept informed of developments that might impact its agreement with the State Government on the Singur plant.

In a letter to the West Bengal Government on Tuesday, the Managing Director of Tata Motors, Mr Ravi Kant, said: “We have noted your clarification that the Government will maintain the integrated nature of the auto cluster consisting of the mother plant and the vendor park as assured and agreed earlier.

Therefore, the Government should not take any step which will disturb this arrangement.

“We would like to be clearly told about any future arrangements, understandings and commitments which will go contrary to the agreement and which will result in not honouring the commitments (made to Tata Motors).”

On Monday, the State Government had written to Tata Motors clarifying that it was in agreement with the company’s contention that the “integrated auto cluster” was fundamental to the project and the State would stand by its commitment in this regard as agreed and assured earlier.

West Bengal’s Minister for Industries & Commerce, Mr Nirupam Sen, read out relevant portions from Mr Ravi Kant’s letter before newspersons and stressed that any return of land from within the project area to the unwilling farmers would render the Nano project unviable.

The Trinamool Congress leader, Ms Mamata Banerjee, said that after her meeting with the State Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, at Raj Bhavan on Sunday, it was agreed that the government would give back “maximum land” from within the project area. She urged the State government to stand by its commitment.

Meanwhile, the four-member Committee formed by the State government met for nearly three hours on Tuesday in its endeavour to resolve the tangle over return of land to “unwilling farmers” in Singur. The meeting was inconclusive. The Committee will visit Singur tomorrow for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation before meeting again.

The committee Chairman, Mr Rabindranath Bhattacharjee of the Trinamool Congress and MLA from Singur, reiterated his party’s demand for return of 300 acres of land from within the project area.