Posco seeks time frame from state
Statesman News Service
BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 12: Posco's CEO, Mr Ku-Taek Lee, while reaffirming the company's commitment on the mega steel plant project here, is said to have sought a time frame regarding to handing over land to the company at his meeting with chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik here today. Reliable sources said the government had indicated to him that land acquisition may take a minimum of six more months since several aspects including livelihood concerns of the displaced need to be explained and people ought to be convinced. Todays meeting assumed significance in the sense that the MoU for the plant had been signed 17 months ago and very little progress had been achieved in terms of land acquisition as well as ground survey work. Mr Lee however sought to underplay the delay caused by resistance movements saying such small hitches were bound to take place. He asserted that significant progress had been made and the project was on schedule. The Posco CEO described his discussions with the chief minister and state government officials as " warm and fruitful". It is learnt that the discussions with the government hinged around the vexed issue of land acquisition and Mr Lee was apparently keen on expeditious completion of the process. The government on its part tried to explain that people need to be taken into confidence, the livelihood concerns of betel vine growers, fishermen etc need to be taken care off. Without committing itself to any time schedule the state government indicated that it may take six months at the minimum or even more for land acquisition to be completed. The issue of ascertaining the extent of forest land, as to how much of it had already been de-reserved also figured during the discussions. The steel major assured the state government that all livelihood concerns will be addressed and the RR policy implemented in letter and spirit. Mr Lee is also said to have put forth the latest National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) report to the chief minister. According to the findings of the report the proposed Orissa project will set up a chain reaction on the economy of the state resulting in increase in its gross output, employment and value addition. He also briefed the chief minister about the various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives being taken by Posco-India . Status on Posco-India's participation in the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for Haridaspur-Paradeep Railway Line with Indian Railways and the proposed Port at Jatadhari, poised to create immense opportunities for infrastructure development in Orissa were also discussed. Posco-India will grow together with the state and the community as Posco has grown with the Korean economic over the years stated Mr Lee while reportedly extending an invitation to visit Korea.
Tata Motor gets cracking, meets WBIDC brass
Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, Dec. 12: In the midst of the heat and dust over the small car project at Singur things got cracking today when representatives of Tata Motor held talks with state officials on the requirements of power, water and environmental clearance. Mr Sabyasachi Sen, secretary, industries department, said several rounds of discussions were held at the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation where officials of different state departments met Tata representatives. The state government would offer 997 acres of land to the Tata Group on lease for 99 years with an incentive package. "We have to compete with many other states to persuade the Tatas to set shop at Singur. Uttaranchal posed the stiffest challenge as it is an attractive proposition for the Tatas with its hill state status that enables waiving of 16 per cent excise that comes to a neat Rs 16,000 for the Rs 1 lakh worth Tata small car," Mr Sen said. Keeping that aspect in mind, the state would offer as much concessions to the Tatas as are there within its ambit. The state is still to acquire about 50 acres of the 925 acres of ryoti land.
Single window for Tata approvals
OUR BUREAU/ The Telegraph
Calcutta, Dec. 12: The Bengal government today opened a single window for Tata Motors to handle issues such as supply of water and power and environmental clearance to the proposed small-car unit in Singur.
Officials of the departments concerned — the electricity board, the Calcutta Metropolitan Water and Sanitation Authority and the state pollution control board — met Tata Motors representatives at the office of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) near BBD Bag so that they did not have to visit the respective offices before starting work on the factory.
Two teams from Tata Motors are expected to visit Singur this week for the first time after the government acquired and fenced the land. An engineering team will survey the land while a community development group is expected to meet villagers there.
The meeting at the WBIDC was attended by commerce and industries secretary Sabyasachi Sen and the corporation's managing director Debashish Som.
"The WBIDC made this arrangement solely to avoid any inconvenience to Tata officials. At the meeting, issues like availability of water and power for the project were discussed threadbare. The representatives were also briefed about environment-related clearances which are mandatory for setting up a factory," Sen said.
The Tata representatives had gone to Belur Math yesterday where a community-training programme is being carried out by the Belur Math Shilpa Mandir, a centre for vocational training.
Sen said the government would maintain "absolute transparency" on the incentive package that would be offered to the Tatas.
The government said it would make sure that the land acquired in Singur is used only for the Tata project. The government will follow this policy for other new units, too.
Under the lease agreement, besides the factory, the Tatas can construct an administrative building and a guesthouse. But quarters or residential complexes cannot be built on the allotted land.
The government will now meet around 10 ancillary units to discuss their requirements.
Tatas get cracking on Singur plant
Four Tata Motors Officials Visit City, Hold Meetings With WBIDC And PCB Brass
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Kolkata: Section 144 at Singur notwithstanding, the Tatas have got cracking. A team of four officials of Tata Motors are currently in the city probing the legal aspects of their project and studying the papers related to the infrastructure at the project site. Commerce and industries secretary Sabyasachi Sen said the company should begin soil-testing on the Singur land by this month. "We are not apprehending any law and order problem," said Sen. Tata officials should be here again at the end of this month to start soil-testing, the commerce secretary said. He told reporters at Writers' Buildings on Tuesday, "WBIDC today arranged a meeting with some Tata Motors engineers to discuss the issues of pollution clearance, power connections and other matters needed for setting up the unit at Singur." In what looked like the WBIDC's single-window system, the Tata officials were able to meet KMDA, SEB and PCB officials at WBIDC on Tuesday without having to run from one building to another. They also visited the community training programme centre for Singur villagers at Belur Math. "But they would like to improvise on this training and advise us accordingly," said Sen. The government, on its part, has started working towards development of the area. It has planned to sink deep tubewells on some monocrop plots. "We'll build toilets and widen the road between Kamarkundu station and Beraberi. We will also dredge the Jalkia canal," said Sen. The 99-year lease is yet to be finalised, said Sen, adding that some concessions will have to be provided to the Tatas as "we are in stiff competition with other state governments for winning this small-car project." He said, "At a time when the Centre itself is giving the industries huge concessions, we can't afford to lose them." The Tatas would have gained by Rs 16,000 per car had they set up their factory at Uttaranchal. The commerce secretary clarified that no concessions will be given on the power sector, though. Sen said the Tatas have conveyed that they would soon bring the vendors for the ancillary units to the government. "The tier-1 vendors will be here soon — they are likely to invest around Rs 500 crore in the 300 acres earmarked for them in the 997-acre plot," said Sen. The government is yet to get consent letters for 50 acres out of the 997 acres. "There could be 200 or 300 owners for this leftover land," said Sen, adding, "We have already paid Rs 80 crore out of the Rs 140 crore to be spent for land acquisition in Singur.
Tata surprise at fury
- Company expected Mamata support in party zone
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT/ The Telegraph
Mumbai, Dec. 12: Tata Motors says it has been taken by surprise by the virulence of Mamata Banerjee's protest against the acquisition of Singur land for the "people's car" project.
"We didn't identify the plot," said Tata Motors MD Ravi Kant, trying to remove any misconceptions that might have arisen in the political acrimony between the Trinamul leader and the CPM-led Bengal government.
"The Bengal government offered us a choice of six plots. We picked the Singur land because it was the best on offer…. Our prime consideration was the proximity to Calcutta and the 2-km frontage that would afford the best visibility (to the factory)," Kant said.
The Tatas had thought Mamata and her party would support the venture because it would come up in a Trinamul constituency. "We didn't anticipate the political uproar that has since ensued," he said, iterating that the Trinamul leader hadn't responded to several feelers the Tatas had sent.
Mamata has denied receiving feelers.
"We want to explain all aspects of the project to her," said Kant but added that the Tatas would not accept any conditions, including Mamata's demand to relocate the project, for talks.
Kant said the Tatas remained committed to two objectives: Singur and the car rollout deadline in 2008. They will not compromise on either – as of now.
"But it's proving to be a race against time. We are already behind schedule. We are still committed to Bengal where we plan to invest Rs 1,000 crore along with the 70 vendors who will move in along with us," he said.
Will the Tata investment draw other auto companies to Bengal? "Of course, it will. The automobile industry typically works in clusters."
Tata Motors is trying to telescope other project deadlines to make up for the loss of time caused by Mamata's protest. Her fast completed nine days today.
The Uttaranchal factory – where the Tatas make the Ace, the small commercial vehicle that has become a huge success – has the land but not the facilities as of today to make the Rs 1-lakh car. "We are not looking at the option yet," he said.
Kant gave some details of the car, which is being kept under the wraps. Members of an Assembly standing committee from Bengal have had a sneak preview and Kant claims they came away impressed.
"We will start off with a petrol version and later, depending on demand, we will look at a dual fuel option." Maruti, for instance, offers a petrol and LNG option in its Wagon-R.
The car has been designed in-house with some European help. "It's only slightly smaller than the Indica. It will accommodate two people in front and three in the back," he said, gently cocking a snook at the people who had ridiculed the idea of a sub-$2,000 car which has never been attempted anywhere in the world.
Kant said a foreign architectural firm was ready with the designs for the factory and the administrative block that will come up at Singur. "We are taking the land on lease and adequate compensation will be paid to the farmers."
He refused to make a firm commitment on jobs for the displaced people. "We are making a car and we will recruit people who are employable. The project will provide direct employment to about 2,000 people and indirect employment to another 8,000."
The Tatas say that after the brouhaha over Singur blows over, the bigger challenge will be to generate enough demand. "We are looking to sell 250,000 units of the small car in the next two years. Hopefully, it will go up to 350,000 units. The ultimate objective is to sell 1 million cars in the next four years," he added.
The total number of cars sold last year was less than a million units.
We remain committed to Singur: Tatas
Small Car Rollout By June 2008
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Mumbai/Kolkata: Tata Motors will roll out its small car by June 2008 "come what may", managing director Ravi Kant said at a media gathering in Mumbai on Tuesday. Addressing the political storm gathering over its plant at Singur, Kant conceded that it has put pressure on the deadline. But, he added: "We are bending backwards to meet the deadline and are prepared to resolve the issue through dialogue. But nobody has invited us to the table to talk to anybody so far." Tata Motors' proposed plant ran into rough weather after protests by the Trinamulled alliance, Naxalites and social activists. They demanded that the plant be relocated. Kant said Tata Motors did not choose the land. "We picked from what was shown to us," the MD said. To a query on whether the affair may compel the company to consider moving to Uttaranchal, where the company is setting up a plant to build trucks, Kant said: "Anything is possible. However, we remain committed to Singur." The Orissa government is also said to have offered land for a project to the Tatas. He added that opposition to the project has taken the Tatas by surprise because the Singur constituency is ruled by Trinamul. "We thought there would be no problems because the project is good for the region's economy. We were wrong," he said. As for the car itself, he said a lot of attention has been paid to the design. In terms of size, Kant said the car can accommodate five people, but it is "volumetrically smaller than the Indica". The introductory version will run on petrol. The company expects to sell a million units in 3-4 years. In Kolkata, government officials met executives of the auto major and chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said land would be handed over to the Tatas on schedule. Industry and commerce secretary Sabyasachi Sen said technical issues relating to the plant were discussed with the company officials. Call off fast, Guv asks Mamata Kolkata: In a bid to resolve the stalemate over Singur land acquisition, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi issued a statement on Tuesday urging Mamata Banerjee and other protesters to withdraw their hunger strike and direct their energy to evolving long-term norms for land-use and land conversion. He described West Bengal as a state where "agriculture is paramount and industrialisation is also imperative"
Hit by debt: Farmers offer village for sale
NDTV Correspondent
Tuesday, December 12, 2006 ( Nagpur):
Debt-hit cotton farmers in Vidharba region are offering their village to Tata Motors to set up their car factory . The company's plans for the factory at Singur in West Bengal is facing protests by farmers and opposition politicians. People in Dorli village in Vidharba signaled Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to sell the village to help them out of debt. A banner wishing the minister on his birthday said 'please sell our village'."I would like to tell him [minister] since you cannot ensure fair price for cotton, please make sure our village gets sold at the earliest," Janardhan Chowdhury, a farmer in the region said. Speaking of poor harvest, 35-year old Milind Gondane said, "this year though we received a lot of rainfall, the crop was bad". Debt troublesEvery morning Milind and his wife look for some labour work, which will fetch them around Rs 25-50 that is barely enough to feed their children. It's the same story for 50 other families in the village all under huge debt. The villagers decided last year to sell the village but with no success. When they were told Pawar was coming to their village they decided to approach him as their last resort."Sharad Pawar has a close link with commerce. He should sell our village. The Tata's are facing problems at Singur in Bengal," said farmer Dharampal Jarunde. "The Tata's should come here - so that we can get work," he saidThe farmers also complain that the Agriculture Ministry gives more importance to sugarcane farming over cotton.
Medha criticises SEZ policy
Statesman News Service
HALDIA, Dec. 12: The problems arising from land acquisition are the same everywhere ~ be it in Narmada valley or in Nandigram. Ms Medha Patkar, eminent social activist, visited Nandigram on 7 December to address a gathering called by Gana Unnayan O Jana Adhikar Sangram Samiti. The administration, jittery about Ms Patekar's movements, stopped her convoy near Vidyasagar Setu and police escorted her all the way to Nandigram. Ms Patkar in her speech said: "Special economic zones (SEZ) will turn into special exploitation zones. The SEZ policy of the Central and the state governments will exempt the companies from tax and the obligation of abiding by environment and labour laws, leading to social and economic exploitation. Ultimately these areas will become deemed foreign territory. Our country will lose Rs 75 lakh crore annually once the SEZs start operating." Nearly 80 per cent of the land earmarked in Nandigram is used for agricultural purposes. Ms Patekar added: "The Leftists opposed the acquisition of agriculture land in the past on the issues like the Enron project or Narmada Bachao Andolan. But what are they doing at present in West Bengal?" She felt that the Left Front government here and the Left Front in Delhi are following double standards, or so it seems form the situation in Singur and Nandigram. "Now they have to decide whom they will stand for ~ the entrepreneurs or the farmers," said Ms Patkar. Her co-activist in Narmada Bachao Andolan and the famous writer Arundhuti Roy led a demonstration before the CPI-M party office in Delhi on the same day on the Singur issue. As a part of our movement, "Action 2007", we shall build up resistance against establishing SEZs and land acquisition for that purpose throughout the country," added Ms Patkar. In Nandigram, 19,000 acres of land covering 38 mouzas has been earmarked for the mega chemical hub and SEZ. The land acquisition process is going on there. In addition to that, another 38,000 acres of land will be acquired in Haldia and Sutahata blocks. As per the assessment of the state government and the ruling Left Front, the lands in Nandigram are mono-crop lands. In fact, the agriculture fields here are very productive as pulses, different vegetables and boro paddy is cultivated here in winter. In Haripur near Junput, around 60 villages will be evicted as the state government has plans to establish a nuclear power plant there. Mrs Lahksmi Panda, member of Paramanu Chulli Birodhi Mancha, said: "Our agricultural lands and fishing activities will be affected badly if this project comes up." Mr Siddiqullah Choudhury, chairman, Gana Unnayan O Jana Adhikar Sangram Samiti, said: "This soil has been witness to the Tebhaga movement. So, the people here must rise against the land acquisition plans of the state government to ensure their basic right to live and earn their livelihood."
Karat smells ulterior designs
Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, Dec. 12: The Singur controversy witnessed the entry of yet another woman leader today when CPI-M politburo member and veteran Marxist Mrs Brinda Karat waxed critical of Trinamul chief Miss Mamata Banerjee as well as social activist Miss Medha Patkar's stands on the subject at a meeting in Kolkata today At a farmers' rally organised by the CPI-M backed Pragatishil Singur Sechha Jomi Bikreta, Shilpa Sthapan O Nagorannayan Committee (Progressive Singur Voluntary Land-sellers, Industrialisation and Urban Development Committee) on Rani Rashmoni Avenue this afternoon, Mrs Karat claimed that the "so called" peasants' agitation in Singur is a "well thought out and politically motivated" movement conceived by "enemies of the peasants" and that the state government has acquired only fallow or single crop producing land voluntarily offered by peasants who "realised that income from farming the land is too small to run their families." "I will visit Singur if the state administration allows me to," Mrs Karat said in an apparent reference to Miss Patkar, when asked if she would prefer speaking to farmers who are unwilling to relinquish their land. "Ask these intellectuals if they stand beside the common man," she said when asked why Miss Patkar who had shared platform with CPI-M leaders in the past, is accusing the Left Front government of resorting to terror tactics to grab land from farmers. Mrs Karat also hazarded that some Naxalite outfits and opposition parties have entered into a conspiracy against the CPI-M and Left Front government and are trying to create a fear psychosis among innocent villagers in Singur. Mrs Karat welcomed the decision of the State Human Rights Commission to seek a report from the district administration on alleged police excesses on residents on 2 December. "Most farmers of Singur have volunteered their land for the project," Mrs Karat said. "Why are some politicians fasting on the issue?" Mrs Karat also dismissed the suggestion that the CPI-M has become anti-peasant and aggressively pro-industrialist in its policies suggesting that the party was serving the interests of both groups by its decision on setting up the Tata small car factory. Pragatishil Singur Sechha Jomi Bikreta, Shilpa Sthapan O Nagorannayan Committee convener and CPI-M district committee member Mr Dibakar Das claimed that owners of 971 acres submitted letters of consent.
Pro-farmer protests just hogwash: Poll
TIMES NOW
Kolkata: Never mind the political battle on the streets over the fate of the farmers in Singur. An overwhelming majority of people in Kolkata feel it's hogwash. "They (politicians) are simply not concerned about farmers," is how two-thirds of people in Kolkata feel about the strife over the Tata Motors project. A TIMES NOW opinion poll on the burning issue shows that 65% respondents felt political parties did not have farmers' interests in mind. Opinion, however, was divided on the effect the ongoing strife would have in attracting further investments. While 57% felt it would not affect the state's bid to project itself as an attractive business destination, 43% felt otherwise. The poll was conducted by Hansa Research. Though Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee and activist Medha Patkar have led the agitation, it is womenfolk, who came out strongly to question the political motivation behind the protests. As much as 71% women polled felt political parties did not bother about farmers and were into it to further their own political mileage. Ever since the farmland acquisition at Singur got embroiled in a major controversy, the state government has been making tall claims of generous compensation to farmers. The Trinamul-led Opposition, on the other hand, has been equally vociferous about the raw deal meted out to the Singur land-losers. Only 32% in the 40-50 age group felt politicians were concerned about farmers. In the 20-39 age bracket, 36% felt likewise. A whopping 80% women felt the stir would not sully the state's image as a premium investment destination. Only 51% men expressed faith in the state's economic fundamentals while the rest felt it would scare away investors .
It's do or die for Mamata
KOLKATA, Dec. 12: Miss Mamata Banerjee has declared that she will continue her "fast unto death" until the government stops acquiring multi-crop land and withdraws imposition of Section 144 in Singur. The Trinamul Congress chief, whose hunger strike entered its ninth day today, said she respects the requests to desist from the strike but that "even if one or two persons lose their life in the hunger strike, it will continue." "We are prepared for the worst. I prefer to die than surrender and live in disgrace," she said. She added that others like Mr Vijay Upadhyay of Samajwadi Party have joined the hunger strike. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice during Zero Hour as Opposition benches sought to raise the issue of Miss Banerjee's hunger strike over the Singur issue. Governor worried Governor, Mr Gopalkrishna Gandhi, once again appealed to the Trinamul supremo to end her fast and initiate dialogue with the state government. In a written statement, Mr Gandhi called upon Miss Banerjee to "conserve energy and direct it towards evolving long-term norms for land use and land-conversion in a state where agriculture is paramount and industrialisation also imperative." n SNS
