LF talks tough on Singur agitation
Aug. 13: The administration will deal with a stern hand any attempt to either disrupt work at the Tata Motors’ Nano plant at Singur or prevent workers from attending their duty. The decision was taken at a security review meeting at Singur which was attended by state home secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty, director general of police A.B. Vohra and the Tata Motors’ representative Dilip Sengupta. "There is no question of any outsider forcing his way or creating any law and order problem. The police will take strong action if anyone tries to forcibly stop workers or damage property of the project," Mr Chakraborty said.
This was the second such meeting in the past one week. Although Mr Chakraborty did not admit it that these meetings had been prompted by Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s threatened indefinite siege of the Nano plant from August 24. The recent threat by the Maoists was also discussed. The administration made it clear that it was gearing up to crack down on any disruptive activity. For this, the number of police personnel deployed in Singur is likely to be increased from 600 to 1000.
While in Singur, the government declared its plans to avert any militant agitation with a heavy hand, in Kolkata, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee renewed his appeal to the Trinamul Congress for talks to resolve the contentious issue.
On the last day of the extended budget session of the Assembly, making the appeal through Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim, Mr Bhattacharjee said, "The government and the Opposition should reach at a consensus on this question. Let we work together for the development of the state."
Reacting to his appeal, Ms Banerjee said the chief minister had promised her on December 18, 2006 (while she was on a hungerstrike) that he will discuss land acquisition in Singur with her. "But after I called off my hungerstrike, he did not keep his promise," she added. She added that she apprehended that the state government would take repressive measures to thwart her Singur blockade from August 24.
BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Kolkata
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