Dankuni, West Bengal: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wishes to set up a factory at 600 acres of land in Singur-the site of abandoned Tata Nano car plant, even as she on Monday attacked the central government for not providing West Bengal the much needed financial aid.
“We had already acquired the land in Singur. But the matter is sub-judice right now. But after we get the verdict we would like a factory to come upon the 600 acres and return the rest 400 acres to the unwilling farmers,” said Banerjee at a function here in Hooghly district.
Mamata Banerjee. PTI
Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is the second largest party in the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre.
“We are waiting for the day we get the much awaited justice. After that we have big plans there. The rail wants to build a factory on 600 acres. Railways had officially proposed building a factory there. And the rest of the 400 acres will be given to the unwilling farmers,” Banerjee said.
Earlier this month, Banerjee, announced Rs.1,000 monthly payment to the 3,000 odd families of Singur – a rural belt in Hooghly district – from whom 400 acres of land was taken, allegedly forcibly, by the Left Front government for Tata Motors to set up a car plant.
Banerjee Monday slammed the centre for not providing the state with the much needed financial assistance.
“Over the last one year we haven’t received a single penny from the central government. Nobody knows how we are running the state. It is getting tough with every passing day. We are giving away Rs 22,000 crores as taxes, whereas the income of the state is Rs 21,000 crores,” she said.
Banerjee inaugurated a Diesel Loco Component Factory and made the ceremonial commencement of the work for construction of Electric Loco Component Factory (CLW Ancillary Unit) here.
She also flayed her arch rivals Left Front for spreading canards against her during her tenure as railway minister.
“When I was Railway Minister (2009-2010) I had rolled out plans for building 16 railway factories across Bengal. At that time CPI-M and the Left used to criticise me everyday they used to say that these stone laying ceremonies will never come true,” said Banerjee.
“But today with the inauguration of this factory they have been proved wrong. Lot of youths of the area will get jobs. Earlier, they had tried to stall the work of the factory by creating a staged agitation against land acquisitions. They also filed a court case. But we have not acquired a single inch of land forcefully.” she said.
IANS
