Tata move to win over Singur folks

http://thestatesman.org/page.arcview.php?clid=1&id=212521&usrsess=1


Statesman News Service
NEW DELHI/KOLKATA, Jan. 13: Having caught the world’s eye by manufacturing the cheapest car ever, Nano, Tata Motors is now planning to win over the residents of Singur by absorbing ITI-trained residents of the area for in-house training at its different facilities.
Tata Motors plans to provide 15-month training to ITI-trained candidates at any one of Tata facilities and it would cover different aspects of manufacturing. The process for selecting qualified ITI trained people is likely to start soon.
After 15 months of training, the trainees will have to undergo a ‘trade test’ by the National Council for Vocational Training after which they would be eligible for employment by Tata Motors or any of the company’s vendors.
At present, about 375 residents of Singur are said to be undergoing training at different ITIs in West Bengal. If they pass the first ‘trade test’ to be conducted by the state government’s department of technical education, Tata Motors plans to take them for in-house training. Sixteen people have already been recruited by Tata Motors for training.
Singur is where the company is setting up its plant for manufacturing Nano for its commercial launch which is likely to take place in the second half of next fiscal. But the company is facing opposition from the locals over acquisition of their lands for the plant.
Meanwhile, work at the site of the chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s dream small car project at Singur, was badly affected as a large number of construction labourers remained absent from duties to join the CPI-M’s rally at Brigade Parade Ground. According to reports, more than 2,500 construction labourers didn’t turn up at the factory site today. Instead, they came to Brigade to obey the instructions of local CPI-M leaders.
Local CPI-M leaders provided five buses to the labourers working in the Singur project site to come to Brigade. The buses were parked near the project site.
“Nearly 2,500 workers participated in the rally voluntarily because they are either sympathisers or cadres of the CPI-M. The work at the small car project site was affected partly. Remaining 2,500 workers attended duty,” said a CPI-M Hooghly district committee member. On condition of anonymity, an official of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation said, filling up of low land couldn’t be carried out due to absence of labourers and a large number of pay loaders couldn’t be operated owing to shortage of labourers.
Most of those who protect the boundary wall of the project site were absent today, said the official.

Singur land proposal dismissed

http://thestatesman.org/page.arcview.php?date=2007-06-09&usrsess=1730188832790&clid=6&id=186060


Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, June 8: The state commerce and industry minister, Mr Nirupam Sen, today dismissed the proposal for providing alternative land to unwilling farmers in Singur on the ground that adjoining land did not belong to the state government and would have to be acquired from others. The Trinamul Congress chief, Ms Mamata Banerjee, had demanded that the state government should give back the land taken away from unwilling owners.
“Nobody is willing to part with his land, but wants the adjoining land to be taken away for development purpose as it will allow him to enjoy the fruits of development. In Singur, if we leave out the land belonging to A and instead take away the land from B, then B will be making the same demand. It will lead to a vicious circle,” he said.
The minister was speaking at a seminar organised by Calcutta University Teachers’ Association on agriculture and industry with regards to the development of the state. Mr Sen said that with modern technology, even non-agriculture land could be converted in agricultural area which left little option for the industry to set up shop in the state.
Mr Sen also dismissed the anti-acquisition movement as a group of people fighting to safeguard their individual interest under a political umbrella. But at the same time, he placed emphasis on including these people in the process of development and industrialisation and pave the way for their transformation from being farmers to industrial workers.

No surplus land in Singur for farmers, says Basu

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Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, June 8: Former chief minister Mr Jyoti Basu today admitted there is no surplus land in Singur available to distribute among farmers who don’t want to give it up for the Tata small car factory.
However, he said the CPI-M is trying to work out a new formula for their rehabilitation. Industry minister Mr Nirupam Sen has been asked to prepare a note on the matter, which is likely to be placed before the Left Front tomorrow. Talking to reporters after the weekly meeting of the CPI-M state secretariat at Alimuddin Street this morning, Mr Basu said: “There are many legal aspects. Mr Nirupam Sen is preparing a note. But there is no land in Singur”.
Mr Basu also admitted that farmers owing allegiance to the Krishi Jomi Raksha Committee are not likely to move out of Singur even if the government provides alternative land. “Why would they go?” he asked, echoing Trinamul supremo Miss Mamata Banerjee who claims there are many farmers who don’t want to give up their land. She is demanding that 300-odd acres she claims were forcibly acquired for the car factory and ancillary units be returned to the farmers.
Asked whether he could foresee a peaceful end to the land dispute, the veteran Marxist said: “That depends on them (Trinamul).” Pointing out that in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) the government has filed an affidavit at the Calcutta High Court stating the entire 998-acre plot is needed for the Tata project, a state secretariat member of the CPI-M claimed the party is in a fix. “If, under any circumstances, we decide to return 300 acres of acquired land to the farmers the government will be accused of lying before the court. Moreover there are many legal complications in the process of returning acquired land”, he said. Tomorrow’s Left Front meeting is likely to be stormy as allies of the CPI-M are upset with Front chairman Mr Biman Bose. Meanwhile, the state government has rejected a proposal to provide alternative land to farmers in Singur.

Jindals land govt in a fix

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MIDNAPORE, June 3: The Jindals have landed the state government in an embarrassing position by announcing a new rehabilitation package for the farmers for parting their land for the formers? proposed steel plant at Salboni in Midnapore West.
For the government has no idea how the Jindals? sops will be looked at by other industrial houses willing to set up their units in West Bengal if those land losers then clamour the similar packages from them as was hinted by the state land and land revenue minister, Mr Abdur Rejjak Mollah, in Kolkata on Friday.
The vice-chairman and managing director of the Jindal Steel Works, Mr Sajjan Jindal, at a meeting with the chief minister in Kolkata on Thursday that each member of a land loser family will be provided with a job and a share in the plant besides compensation for the land which is said to be a golden gift in the annals of the state for the land losers ever since land were being acquired to pave the way for industries in the state.
Over 2,500 acres of land were acquired for a good number of industries in Haldia over the past decade under 1894 Land Acquisition Act. But the land losers were given just a nominal amount of compensation but neither jobs for their kin nor any other benefits as offered by the Jindals. SNS