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Bangalore/Kolkata, Sept. 22 The Karnataka Government has sought an “early appointment” with Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group, “to take forward the negotiations on relocating the Nano project to Dharwad,” said Mr Murugesh Nirani, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, here on Monday.

The Principal Secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce, Mr V. Umesh, said Tata Motors’ officials had visited two sites near Dharwad which could be offered for the project.

While one site is about 800 acres, the other is 1,000 acres, he said, addingthat the Government has 500 acres in its possession, which could be made available for the Nano project immediately.

(Newswire18 adds: “They need 800-1,000 acres. About 500 acres is in possession of the Government. If they want additional 300-500 acres, we can acquire and give it to them,” Mr Umesh said. “There won’t be any problem because it is a single crop, dry land where, by and large farmers would agree. It will be consent acquisition and compensation will be at market rate,” he said.)

Last week, a Tata Motors team led by its Managing Director, Mr Ravi Kant, met the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa, and discussed the possibility of locating the Nano plant in the State.

The State Government had assured the team all help.

The West Bengal Government has extended the deadline for receiving applications from farmers in Singur who wish to accept their compensation cheques in lieu of land acquired from them for the Tata small car project.

The earlier deadline expired on Monday. Now the farmers have some more time to submit applications for receiving their compensation cheques.

Till Monday, a total of 70 ‘hitherto-unwilling’ farmers put in their applications before the district authorities for collecting their compensation cheques.

And, till Monday, 45 cheques had been issued. The total number of “unwilling farmers” who have not accepted their compensation cheques is stated to be around 2,200.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader Ms Mamata Banerjee today threatened to re-launch her agitation programme in support of her demand that the agreement entered into with the State government on September 7 be operationalised.

Ms Banerjee has charged the State government with going back on its commitment with regard to returning “maximum” land from within the project area.

She has reiterated that land from within the project area must be returned to the “unwilling farmers”.

The State unit of the Congress party has said that it will approach the Governor, Mr Gopalkrishna Gandhi, and urge him to facilitate resolution of the issue at the earliest.

Tata Motors suspended work on the Singur plant on September 2 citing a hostile environment at the site. It had also said that it was working out detailed plans to relocate the plant and machinery.

The Trinamool Congress has been agitating against the project demanding that 400 acres of land acquired for the project by the Government and handed over to the company be returned to the farmers who were not willing to give up their land. The West Bengal Government and the Trinamool Congress held discussions after the Governor, Mr Gopalkrishna Gandhi, initiated steps to break the deadlock.

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