Tata project: CPI takes on big brother

The party wants the CPM-led govt to come 'clean' on the deal with Tatas.

Land acquisition for Tata Motor's small car project in West Bengal may get caught in crossfire between the CPI and CPI(M).

The CPI Central Secretariat today decided to intensify pressure on the West Bengal government, which had rejected the party's demand for divulging details of the agreement with the Tatas. The CPI alleges fertile land is being acquired for the project.

The meeting, presided over by party General Secretary AB Bardhan and attended by West Bengal Minister for Water Resources Nandgopal Bhattacharya, decided to raise the issue at the Left Front meeting in Kolkata on November 3.

The party has also sent a memorandum to the chief minister, asserting its "right to information" about pacts signed by the government of which it is a partner.

Senior CPI leaders said the government was acquiring fertile land for the project even though the Left parties criticised the central government for giving away farm land for special economic zones.

A senior CPI leader said the CPI(M)'s claim that the land being acquired at Singur in Hoogly district was either barren or single-crop was true years ago. "Today two to three crops are grown in a year at Singur," he said.

CPI leaders said the Trinamool Congress and Congress, which were carrying out an agitation against the acquisition of land at Singur, had no right to do so as they had opposed land reforms in the state. "Since the CPI was one of the few who supported the reforms, it has the right to raise the issue," said a senior party leader.

"What confounds us the most is the government's reluctance to divulge details of the agreement with Tata Motor. This makes us more suspicious," he added.

Meanwhile, the Congress is non-committal on a joint movement with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress against the Left Front government in West Bengal.

"The question of a joint movement will come when it is necessary," state Congress working president Pradip Bhattacherjee, who owes allegiance to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, said.