Kolkata:
Hours after taking oath as West Bengal Chief Minister on Friday, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee made it clear that she will return the disputed land at Singur to farmers.
Addressing the media after her first Cabinet meet, Mamata said, "The Cabinet has decided to return the disputed 400 acres of land at Singur to farmers. Processes will be set into motion for this. The Tatas are welcome to have industry on the balance 600 acres."
The West Bengal government had leased almost 1000 acres of land at Singur to Tata Motors in 2006 for a Nano factory.
A section of farmers whose land totalled 400 acres had given the land unwillingly, refusing to accept payment for it.
Making it clear that her government means business, Mamata said the Cabinet will meet once a fortnight from now on, adding that ministers must come to work on Saturdays too.
She also said that the government will invite ex-Justice Sachchar to help us formulate a package for minorities.
The Trinamool chief created history by uprooting the Left Front government from West Bengal after 34 years. And on Friday, accompanied by thousands of people, Mamata walked the 20 minutes from Raj Bhawan to Writers Building, her new office. Jostled and pushed around in the massive rally, Mamata was actually cut on her arm and foot but kept on reaching out to her supporters in her typical style.
When asked about this, she said, "I could not have come by car because there was a sea of people on the roads. I took the Governor's permission before walking from Raj Bhawan to the Writers' Building."
Mamata also announced that former FICCI Chief Amit Mitra will be West Bengal's new Finance Minister. (
Read) Senior Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee will be minister for industry and commerce.
She reiterated that this is the government of
Ma Mati Manush. "I thank them for their support. People are emotional; democracy minus people is not possible," Mamata said.
Earlier on Friday, at one minute past one in the afternoon, Mamata Banerjee took oath to become the first woman Chief Minister of West Bengal. (
Read: Mamata Banerjee sworn in as West Bengal Chief Minister)
It was a historic moment for the state and personally, one that the diminutive giant-slayer has waited for all her life. Mamata took oath in Bengali marking a change of guard that will see the end of 34 years of uninterrupted rule by the CPM-led Left Front.