Singur panel seeks more time for report

A committee constituted under the aegis of the governor of West Bengal, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, may seek more time to submit its final report on land to be provided to the agitating farmers.

After a three-hour meeting, Rabindranath Bhattacharjee, Trinamool Congress MLA and chairman of the committee, said that the committee could submit an interim report and then seek more time for its final report.

The report was to be submitted within seven days of the agreement forged between the West Bengal government and the agitating farmers side represented by the Trinamool Congress.

The possibility of stretching the deadline stemmed from the stalemate over the quantum of land to be provided to the agitating farmers.

Bhattacharjee said that 300 acres could be given from the project site. He also added that the government was not agreeable to it though discussions were held in a congenial atmosphere.

However, he added that the state government side, represented by West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation's managing director Subrata Gupta and Hooghly District Magistrate Neelam Meena, had discussed some other proposals.

Though Bhattacharjee declined to comment on the proposals, sources said it could be related to higher compensation. The committee members would meet again tomorrow to discuss the issues.

The Trinamool Congress side, which was armed with maps of the project site, has identified plots in the ancillary side, where construction was yet to commence.   The vendor park is spread over 290 acres.  However, the government side was willing to give just 40 acres.

Tata Motors has made it clear to the state government that they would not like the integrated nature of the plant and ancillary units to be disturbed. WBIDC has around 47.11 acres at the project site earmarked for rehabilitation of project-affected families.

The West Bengal State Electricity Board has 14.33 acres but the power station was understood to be at an advanced stage of construction.