‘Activities forcibly stopped'

Opposing the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, which put the onus on Tata Motors for “non-commissioning [of] and abandoning” its small car project to justify outright ‘takeover', Tata Motors on Tuesday said “it did not find the situation (in the State) congenial” to continue its operations as there was “no guarantee” of a “safe and peaceful environment”.

The company said “the Bill does not state the reasons for stoppage of operations and shifting the plant”. The company will “study the Bill and take appropriate steps”.

According to a release issued on Tuesday, Tata Motors was setting up the plant at Singur “under very difficult conditions, amidst violence, damage to property and threats to personnel”. An appeal for a peaceful environment was rebuffed with “escalation of hostilities” resulting in the company moving out on October 3, 2008.

Tata Motors had invested nearly Rs 1,800 crore in establishing the plant, and it still has infrastructure worth Rs 440 crore in place. Nearly 30 vendors were in the process of setting up infrastructure in the vendor park at an estimated investment of Rs 171 crore.

It also brushed aside the criticism of not creating jobs and helping in socio-economic development, as mentioned in the Bill introduced in the Assembly. A comprehensive community development programme that included training and jobs were taken up since 2006. Even 102 health clinics were set up until “the activities were forcibly stopped”.

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