Singur riots won't upset plans: Tatas

Prohibitory order under Section 144 CrPC was reimposed at the Tata Motors small car project site in Singur following fresh violence in the area, even as Tata group chief Ratan Tata flew into Kolkata late on Monday evening for a meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at an out-of-the-way office of the state government.

After a marathon meet (lasting over two and half hours) with Bhattacharjee and state Commerce and Industry Minister Nirupam Sen, Tata and the chief minister fielded questions from the media.

Ratan Tata said, given the pace of work at Singur, he was confident the small car would be rolled out by 2008.

Tata was accompanied by R K Krishna Kumar, director of Tata Sons.

Reiterating his position on West Bengal, he said it was a right move to select the state as an investment destination, adding, "We appreciate very much the kind of support we got from the West Bengal."

Tata said, the Singur project would create jobs and improve livelihoods of people. Bhattacharjee said, more than 1,000 villagers were now working on the project site.

Responding to queries whether Tata would talk to political parties to bring about a consensus, Tata said, "I am not a politician, but I am ready to talk to any reasonable party...as an industrialist, we should not be involved in the process."

Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool chief, is back to protests after her marathon 25-day hunger strike against land acquisition in Singur. Her proposed visit to Singur stood cancelled after Section 144 CrPC was imposed on Sunday night. However, her party ensured that the area remained on the boil.

Tata had earlier said Singur was being fuelled by competitors.

He said today the group would make this conspiracy public at an appropriate time.