Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday opened another front against the Tata group, hours after being sworn in as the chief minister of West Bengal.
"My first decision as chief minister is to return the 400 acres to the unwilling farmers of Singur," Banerjee said after the first cabinet meeting on Friday.
This 400 acres is part of the 1,000 acres acquired for the Tatas' Nano factory. Trinamool says it was acquired forcibly.
"It has been decided at the cabinet's first meeting that the Tatas are welcome to build their factory on 600 acres. But 400 acres will be given back to the farmers," she said.
The Nano project became a big political issue in 2008 when Banerjee sided with the farmers and asked the state government to return the land acquired forcibly.
The Tatas were forced to shift the project to Sanand in Gujarat.
While Banerjee could not give a deadline by when the land would be returned, she said the action would be in accordance with law.
A Tata Motors spokesperson said, "We have no guidance."
The decision dashes hopes that the new government may become friendly with the Tatas to send a signal that it welcomes investments into the state the numerous Trinamool Congress agitations against industry notwithstanding.
The Tata group had kept a communication channel with the Trinamool Congress open by informing it about the launch of its cancer hospital on May 16. The hospital was inaugurated by Group Chairman Ratan Tata.
The senior Tata executives invited for Banerjee's swearing-in ceremony did not turn up. The Trinamool Congress had sent invites to Ratan Tata, Tata Sons Director R Gopalakrishnan, Tata Steel Vice-Chairman B Muthuraman and Tata Motors Vice-Chairman Ravi Kant.
Asked if the move would make future investments by the Tata group uncertain, Banerjee said, "Bengal will be such a place that I will not have to invite the Tatas. They will come and invest."
Banerjee said she would make the state government's lease agreement with Tata Motors public. The Left Front government had put it partially in the public domain.
Experts say the main impediment in returning the land is law. Under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, land once acquired for a public purpose cannot be returned. However, a new legislation can be passed.
The previous Left Front government, under which the land was acquired, claimed that only 181 acres was disputed.
Image: Mamata Banerjee is greeted by West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan.
Photograph: Jay Mandal/On Assignment
