Kolkata, January 07: West Bengal Commerce and Industry Minister Nirupam Sen today said the government had not ”officially” started discussions with the Tata Motors on returning the Singur land to the state government after the company called off its Nano project there.
Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of a summit on ”West Bengal-The Investment Destination-partners in Progress”, organised by the ASSOCHAM, he said, ”We have not officially started discussion with the Tata Motors on returning of the Singur land.
When we thought about the alternative proposal (of using the land of abandoned Nano project site at Singur), we informed it to the Tatas.” The government had informed the Tatas about the Rail or BHEL’s proposal of setting up plants at Singur when they came, he said, adding, ”We discussed with the Tatas about the Railway’s proposal.
We talked to the Railways after talking to the Tatas.” Mr Sen was commenting on Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata’s yesterday statement that the company had not had any discussion with the West Bengal government on returning the Singur land.
”What Mr Tata said is true and what we have said is also true,” he added. Mr Tata had also said they would return the land if the state government gave compensation for the losses the company had to suffer as it was ”forced” to shift its small car project to Sanand, Gujarat. Commenting on that, the Minister said, ”We have not started official discussion with the Tatas on compensation.”
–Agencies