Tatas want adequate compensation for Singur land

New Delhi: A day after the West Bengal government announced that it has taken back 997 acres of land, with the Tatas on a 99-year lease at Singur through an ordinance, the Tatas said they were happy to return the land if it was needed for the development of Bengal. They, however, demanded adequate compensation from the government as they invested in developing the land.

''We are happy to return the land if it is needed for the development of West Bengal. But Tatas have invested in developing land. So we would expect adequate compensation from the new user," said a statement from the Tatas.

In 2007, the Tatas started construction of a factory here to build the Nano car, but left in October 2008, after an agitation led by Mamata Banerjee, in support of farmers who owned 400 of the total 997 acres of land acquired for the project, and had refused to accept compensation for the same.

Now Mamata Banerjee has said the government will return 400 acres of land to the farmers in the area. On the issue of the remaining 600 acres at Singur, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "The rest 600 acres will be kept open for industry... The Tatas can set up industry if they want. If they (Tata) demand compensation without going in for industry on this 600 acres, we will give them compensation through legal means by appointing an arbitrator."