WB govt raises land compensation by 50 pc for Singur farmers

Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Sunday offered greater financial assistance to those affected by Tata Motors car project in Singur to buy peace but the opposition did not agree to it.

Appealing to the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led protesters to accept the latest compensation package announced by the state government, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday exuded confidence that the world's least expensive car Nano would roll out from Singur.

On Saturday, the government had made it clear that it would not be able to return more than 70 acres of land to farmers, although the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has been demanding that 300 acres be given back.

Bhattacharjee said the state government was sincere in finding a peaceful solution to the problem.

"For the sake of the state I myself had gone to state governor (Gopalkrishna Gandhi) thrice to discuss the issue,” he added.

However, West Bengal Congress president and Information and Broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said that it was the responsibility of the state government to ensure success of the agreement signed in the Raj Bhavan on September 7.

"We have read that it was a honourable pact. If the government now takes the path of betrayal, it will suffer. They must safeguard the agreement," Dasmunsi said.

In a public announcement, the state government has offered 50 per cent more compensation to those who had sold their land to enable them to buy agricultural land elsewhere in a public announcement. But the opposition doesn’t agree to it.

The government said, “The benefit is 50 per cent of land price determined by the land acquisition collector at the time of land acquisition.”

Moreover, those affected by the ‘Nano’ project would be eligible for 300 days wages at National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) rate, subject to verification of residence status.

The government further added that it would arrange for training and endeavours to provide direct or indirect employment for one person per project-affected family having no regular job or income and would carry out various community development schemes in the project affected villages.

But the two warring parties - the state's ruling Left coalition and the TMC-led farmers - went on the warpath again on Saturday.

While the Front announced it will launch a march to Singur on Monday to build up public support for the project, TMC chief Banerjee announced a counter-march to the area the next day (September 16).