Kolkata Thursday June 23, 2011 www.thebengalpost.com CITY 3

Briefly Tatas move high court over Singur legislation, but seems more determined than ever to return land Plan for better Tata Motors moves school education CM sticks to her commitment : The school educa- tion department has constituted an advisory HC over Singur council to plan a guideline for development, school Our Legal Correspondent ery and equipment still lying education minister inside the “abandoned” site. Rabindranath Bhattacharya Kolkata: Tata Motors moved The developments come a said on Wedn es day. The the Calcutta High Court on day after the Act came into names of the council mem- Wednesday challenging the force and the government bers would be finalised in legality of the Singur pasting a notice on the main consultation with CM Land Rehabilitation and gate of the deserted project Mamata Banerjee, the min- Development Act, 2011 site on Tuesday night. ister said. — BP enacted by the Bengal gov- Tata Motors’ counsel Pal ernment to return land to the met the Chief Justice of the Concrete chunk ‘unwilling farmers’ of Singur, Calcutta High Court, Joy whose land was acquired by Narayan Patel, at his south falls off building the Left Front government for Kolkata residence on Tuesday Kolkata: A concrete chunk a small car factory to be built night and communicated the fell from a three-storied by the Tatas. automobile major’s plan to building at Radhanath As the matter came up for challenge the Act. Chaudhury Road on hearing before the Bench of Considering the importance Wednesday morning. There Justice Soumitra Pal, he of the matter, it was assigned was no injury reported after refused to hear ex parte Tata to Justice Pal by the Chief the incident. Police Motors’ petition and directed Justice. informed the matter to the the company’s counsel, Arguing for Tata Motors, Kolkata Municipal Samaraditya Pal, to serve counsel Pal told the Bench Corporation (KMC). Primary notice to the state govern- that the company abandoned inquiries revealed that ear- ment. After the company fol- its plan to roll out the world's lier KMC authorities demol- lowed the court’s directive, cheapest car from its factory ished had a portion of the Justice Pal took up the case in in Singur in the wake of a building and remnants of the afternoon. series of violent agitations. the demolished building Supporters of the Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Committee take out a rally in Singur on Wednesday—BP Tata Motors, however, has The erstwhile state gov- collapsed. — BP clarified that the company ernment failed to maintain did not ask for an ex parte law and order as hundreds of Nine injured in Our Correspondent advocate Kalyan Banerjee to team manifesto. We will go ahead with said Kalyan Banerjee, who is also hearing at all, when the protesters laid siege to the up with advocate-general Anindya it,” said Banerjee in the Mamata Banerjee’s main legal Singur matter came up for factory, Pal pleaded. road accident Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Mitra in the legal battle against the capital. adviser. hearing in the high court. The “Even employees of the Kolkata: Nine persons were Banerjee is determined to keep her Tatas. On her way to meet the deputy “In this case, I am appearing for state government was repre- factory were threatened with injured when a lorry political commitment of returning “Anybody can go to court, it is his chairman of the Planning the industry secretary. Of course, we sented by advocate-general dire consequences,” he rammed into the back of a land to the unwilling farmers of prerogative. No problem. The gov- Commission, Montek Singh do work according to the chief min- Anindya Mitra along with argued. mini-truck which was carry- Singur. ernment has decided to return the Ahluwalia, Banerjee reiterated that ister’s instructions. We also lawyer Kalyan Banerjee, who "The project was almost ing a funeral party to Despite the possibility of a long land. We will hand over the land to the process of returning land will have with us is also a Trinamool Congress complete. A trial run of the Nimtalla Burning Ghat. The legal battle delaying the process of the unwilling farmers. Land is in our not be delayed. veteran advocate Shaktinath MP. small car was on its way. Tata injured were rushed to a returning land initiated by the state possession. It was the decision of the “The Bill is absolutely in accor- Mukherjee,” said Banerjee, confirm- The hearing continued till Motors was determined to nearby hospital. Seven were government looming ahead, a confi- government following dance with the Constitution. Tatas ing that the chief minister had been 4.45 p.m. after which court roll out the world's cheapest discharged from the hospital dent Banerjee on Wednesday which a Bill was passed in the may be angry. But it will serve the supervising the matter from Delhi in was adjourned till Thursday. car soon. But relentless agita- after the first aid. — BP instructed party MP and senior Assembly. It was in our election interest of the common people,” all earnest. The 562-page petition tion forced the company to claimed that the Act was scrap the project and leave Long-distance trains “illegal and unconstitu- Singur," Pal pleaded. tional”. Pal prayed before the court to increase speed In another dramatic turn, for a stay on the notification Kolkata: The railway Security tightened at Tata former mayor of Kolkata and which had asked the com- department has decided to prominent lawyer Bikash pany to vacate the land. He increase the speed limits of Bhattacharya, representing a also sought the appointment some long-distance trains. section of the landowners in of a special officer to oversee The journey time of those factory site in Singur Singur, appealed to the court the project area till “the case trains would now be to be “an added party to the is disposed of”. reduced by 15 minutes to case”. On several occasions, there one hour as confirmed by Rathin Bhattacharya divisional police officer jao,aamader jomi chere dao’ At the end of the day’s were heated exchanges the Eastern Railway. Those Amitava Maiti went to the (Go back Tata, leave our hearing, the court observed between the counsels of the trains are Town to Hooghly: Security arrange- site with a large police force land). The rally ended at the that the state government two parties. At one point, -Kamrup Express, ments at the abandoned to get the land vacated. project’s main gate. should take all necessary Pal’s submission was inter- Malda Town to Sealdah- Medha Patkar in Singur on Wednesday — BP Tata Motors factory were About 900 people had “The way the new gov- steps to maintain law and rupted by Mitra and Banerjee Gour Express, Saharsa strengthened by the state already moved out and so ernment has proceeded in order in around the aban- and the Bench had a trying Sealdah-Hatey Bazare government on Wednesday had project officer Dilip the Singur issue, any doned Nano project. It also time to pacify the two sides. Express, Kolkata Garib Rath following the takeover of Sengupta, letting the dis- obstruction by Tata Motors instructed the state to make The Bench will hear advo- Express and Kolkata Patkar marches the project site on Tuesday. trict police take over the won’t harm the proced- adequate security arrange- cate-general Mitra’s submis- Radhikapur Express. The The government took 1,000-acre land. ings. We will soon give ments to protect the machin- sion on Thursday. department also made a possession of the land by “Since the land has been back the land to the 4,600 change of destinations for virtue of the Singur Land taken back by the govern- farmers whose land was some trains. The Kolk- in solidarity Rehabilitation and ment, workers are being forcefully acquired by the ata–Sealdah local would be Development Act 2011, a asked to vacate the area,” erstwhile Left Front gov- changed to Baruipur instead Singur: Social activist Medha has put up 54 notices signed piece of new legislation said Rangarajan. ernment. A committee is of the existing destination of Patkar on Wednesday by district magistrate Sripriya aimed at giving back land to On the other hand, some being formed on the behalf Sealdah. — BP appealed to Bengal chief min- Rangarajan on the walls of the dispossessed farmers. people forcibly entered the of the government. ister Mamata Banerjee to project site with a copy of the The Hooghly district project site on Wednesday The Singur Farmland New halt for keep in mind the interests of gazette notification scrapping magistrate stuck 54 notices morning and tried to take Protection Committee sharecroppers and landless the land deal with the Tatas. on the factory gates since away a few things from the along with government Patna Express labourers in Singur while The private security guards of the first one was fixed on site. But police chased them committee will decide on Kolkata: The Patna Express returning the acquired land to Tata Motors have vacated the Tuesday evening. away. how to give back the land,” will now stop at New farmers. site. The Tatas responded by Upbeat Singur farmers said MLA Becharam Farakka and Kahalgaon sta- Patkar, who undertook a Villagers alleged that a hanging their own notice, celebrated yet again, bring Manna. tions on an experimental padayatra here at the aban- huge quantity of material stating that the firm needed out a huge procession of In contrast, those farmers basis from July 1 to Decem- doned Tata Motors project from the abandoned factory at least five hours to react to 2,000 people, led by MLA who had given their land ber, said Eastern Railway site, said the company should was stolen on Tuesday night any directive from the state Becharam Manna, who is for the car factory appeared authorities. The department realise the plight of farmers after the security guards left. government. also a leader of the Singur dejected. They accused also hinted that the fre- affected by industrialisation. Officials said no one was Sub-divisional officer land movement. Mamata Banerjee and the quency of the Duronto The Hooghly district being allowed into the aban- Abhijit Mitra of The procession raised the government of stalling Express could be increased. administration, meanwhile, doned project site.—BP Chandernagore and sub- slogan ‘Tata tumi pherot Singur’s industrialisation. Police deployed at Tata project site— Suvojit Basu The Sealdah-New Delhi Duronto Express frequency will increase from bi-weekly to four days a week. Howev- er, the journey of four sub- urban trains was extended. Look for profits, industry Tired of Left apathy, agriculture The Howrah–Gurap local extended up to Masagram. The Prinsepghat –Habra local extended up to Majerhat, minister tells PSUs scientist shifts base to Orissa the Barasat–Prins epghat local extended up to Our Correspondent Abhiroop Ghosh Dastidar government to preserve this labour of Ballygunge and Majer- love. In bad times, this collection of hat–Barrackpore local exte- Kolkata: Industry minister Kolkata: Tired of the apathy of the Left mine would come to the government’s nded up to Ballygunge. — BP Partha Chatterjee on Front government at the time, aid and they should understand this,” Wednesday instructed heads renowned agricultural scientist from Deb said. He also criticised farmers for Bankura wants of 13 state PSUs to prepare the state Dr Debal Deb changed his their present approach to farming. action plans for turning the base from Bengal to Orissa along with “Most of them have developed a very police stations organisations into profit- his 700 indigenous varieties of rice consumerist attitude. They think that Bankura: The Bankura dis- making units without con- species. Some of these include species they can always buy the rice varieties trict administration and the sidering any steps to reduce which are drought-resistant. After try- from the market, which is not true. When there was drought or other crisis senior police officers has staff strength. The minister ing for years, he could not convince the Dr Debal Deb (extreme right) periods, I supplied seeds to farmers in already forwarded a pro- met managing directors of government to provide him with four with Union agriculture minister many instances but they never pre- posal to the state govern- the PSUs for more than two Saugat Mukherjee and industry minister Partha bighas to help him with the conserva- Sharad Pawar and others at an served them,” Deb said. ment requesting the author- hours at Writers’ Buildings. Chatterjee at a CII meeting in the city on tion of the rice species. awards ceremony ities to set up five new After the meeting, Chatterjee Wednesday—Prabir Bhattacharya However, the new government has After not getting the land, Deb police stations and 10 police told the media: “I have asked promised to look into the matter. “This finally shifted from Basudha --his erst- outposts in the district to each of them to submit to me plan. At the same time, the kind of an incident is really unfortu- collected from Bengal over a period of while research centre in Bengal -- and maintain the law and order a time-bound action plan on PSU bosses were told to IN FOCUS nate. Our government will try its best around two decades. Out of the 500, went to Orissa. “If the government machinery in the politically- turning their units into inform the industry depart- to provide him with the necessary help around 400 of the rice species need wants, then I will keep on providing Mackintosh Burn sensitive and economically- profit-making units, making ment the amount of bills of to bring him back to the state and help proper irrigation while the other 100 the farmers with the rice and bail them backward district of south sure that the number of each of the PSUs that were Gluconate Health him with his work,” said were drought-tolerant. out from crisis situations and serve Bengal. — BP employees is not reduced in pending with the govern- Durgapur Chemicals Ltd Malay Ghatak, law minister So, to conserve them, when needed,” Deb said. the process.” ment. “If it helps, I will Saxby and Farmer Ltd with additional charge of he had to look for con- Deb has already left the state but the Landslide in The minister categorically request chief minister Shalimar Works agriculture. ducive stretches of bengal government is keen to bring Bonjemari Colliery pointed out that reducing Mamata Banerjee and Britannia Engineers Neo He added that if neces- Exclusive land, which he ulti- him back, the number of employees to finance minister Pipes & Tubes Corp Ltd sary, the new government mately found in Orissa. In fact, recently a couple of athletes Asansol: Bonjemari Colliery cut financial burdens to clear the bills as soon as would have a talk with Deb to try to “I needed four bighas for conserving had threatened to leave the state as National Iron & Steel at Salanpur in Asansol wit- through different schemes possible,” Chatterjee said. sort out the matter and ensure that he all the rice species I have. A stretch of they were not getting adequate sup- Company Limited ` nessed a landslide in its such as voluntary retirement The industry minister said returns to in Bengal. “I have transferred land that costs around 5,000 per port from the government despite workshop arena on Wedn- or a golden handshake was that such review meetings Britannia Engineering Ltd and transplanted all my rice varieties bigha was going for `15,000 per bigha. I winning laurels in the country and esday. According to coal not an option. would be held every three Saraswati Press to a farmland in Orissa. All my efforts do not have the luxury to spend abroad. mine workers, they heard a When some of the PSU months to take stock of the West Bengal Spinning and requests of acquiring irrigable land around `60,000 per year on renting However,minister of state for sports noise from the machine bosses raised the issue of progress. Mills in my state failed so I decided to shift land,” Deb said. Madan Mitra came to their rescue by room at around 11 am. The deficiencies in technology, Among the PSUs repre- West Dinajpur Spinning my base,” he said. “This is a labour of love and I am not extending financial initiatives and illegal mining in this area is Chatterjee asked them to sented at the meeting were Mills He explained that out of the 700 in a position to do business with it. But promising them full facilities to responsible for the slide, include specific technologi- Mackintosh Burn, Saraswati Manjusha and Kalyani species of rice, around 500 have been I need some minimum help from the enhance their training. claimed P K Singh, a colliery cal requirements for increas- Press and Durgapur Spinning Mills agent. — BP ing productivity in the action Chemicals.