Bengal to respect court’s verdict on Singur: Minister

Kolkata, Dec 3 (IANS) A day after a newly-appointed Bengal minister said the farmers of Singur “will decide what to do” if the law goes against them, state Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee Monday said the government will show respect to the judiciary.

“We have our full faith in the judiciary and will show our respect to it,” said Chatterjee, in a damage control move, after Minister of State for Agriculture Becharam Manna’s comments created ripples in political circles as the matter is before the court.

“We want that the farmers get back their land as early as possible. We will surely give our statement at the Supreme Court. In the first time we had won in the (Calcutta) high court but in the second time it did not happen. We will again move the Supreme Court. Mamata Banerjee’s fight is on to uphold the interest of the people,” Chatterjee told media persons at the state secretariat.

Addressing a public meeting in Singur of Hooghly district, the newly-appointed Manna Sunday said people of the town were law-abiding, but if the law went against them, “they will decide what to do”.

Manna assured the restive farmers from Singur, the centre of the ruling Trinamool Congress’ volatile movement against the Nano car plant in 2006-08, that the problem would be solved by January next.

Earlier, taking a dig at Manna, state Left Front chairman Biman Bose alleged that the former’s statement was against the constitution.

The Supreme Court August issued notice to Tata Motors on a petition by the state government challenging a Calcutta High Court order holding unconstitutional its Singur land act to reclaim 400 acres given to the company.

A large section of Singur farmers, who had not accepted cheques from the then Left Front government in return for their land for the Tatas’ car project as it was allegedly taken against their will, are aggrieved with the Banerjee government over not getting back their land and even not receiving the dole of Rs.2,000 and rice at Rs.2 per kg announced by Banerjee.

The farmers, who were promised by then opposition leader Banerjee that 400 acres of the acquired land would be returned to them if her party came to power, had been the pillars of the volatile anti-land acquisition movement which ultimately forced the automobile major to shift the plant to Gujarat.

But 18 months into Banerjee’s rule, the farmers are yet to get back their land due to the legal row.

IANS 2012-12-03 23:02:14