Trinamool to carry on Singur stir

Left Front to form panel to settle differences among partners.

A day after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee ended her 25-day hunger strike, her party said it would continue the agitation against acquisition of farm land for the Tata Motors' project.

A Trinamool delegation led by Leader of Opposition Partha Chatterjee today visited Singur and told villagers that the agitation would continue.

"Krishi Jami Rakhsha (save farm land) Committee will continue the agitation against the forcible acquisition of land at Singur," Chatterjee assured farmers.

In a hint that that stand-off at Singur was expected to continue, Chief Secretary AK Deb said prohibitory orders would be in force in the area for another 20 days.

Meanwhile, the ruling Left Front in West Bengal has decided to form a committee to resolve the serious differences among its constituents over acquiring farm land for industrial purposes, particularly for the Singur project.

"A committee will be formed to apprise all the front partners about the ongoing and future projects in a bid to sort out any differences," former chief minister and Politburo member Jyoti Basu said.

He was speaking after the CPI(M) State Secretariat and Left Front meetings here.

"From now on, the ministers concerned will apprise the front constituents of the progress of projects under their departments," Basu said.

On Banerjee's decision to end her fast against land acquisition for the Tatas' project, Basu said, "She should have ended her fast much before. I hope she recovers fast and will be in a position to sit for discussions with the state government about her issues."

"The Left Front is happy that Mamata Banerjee has ended her fast. We hope she gets well soon and talks with the state government (on the Singur issue)," Left Front Chairman and party's State Secretary Biman Bose said. "However, there is no timeframe for the talks," he said.

The state, he said, was reaping the fruits of industrial development, the infrastructure for which was developed during former chief minister Jyoti Basu's regime.

He said one of the suggestions at today's meeting was that a team of all-party legislators should visit Singur. He did not say what its objective would be. "We will first discuss the visit with the state government," he said.

Meanwhile, a team of state Criminal Investigation Department today visited Doluigacha village near Singur to commence inquiry into the death of an old couple. Banerjee has been admitted to the intensive care unit of a city hospital. Her heart and pulse rates are low. She is being treated for dehydration, hypoglycaemia and other nutritional deficiencies, Kakoli Ghoshdastidar, a doctor attending on her, said this morning.

"She is on oxygen unit and intravenous fluid correction," the doctor said.