Trinamool Congress today sought an explanation from state Labour Minister Malay Ghatak for his comment that land once acquired by the state government cannot be returned legally in the context of return of Singur land to farmers.
"After seeing in the newspapers today, I spoke to Ghatak over phone and I have sought his explanation," TMC Secretary General and state Education minister Partha Chatterjee told PTI.
Chatterjee said Ghatak told him that the news appearing in the press was "far from truth".
Ghatak told him that the Singur case cannot be compared to other projects where landowners were assured of higher rates of compensation, Chatterjee said.
In the matter of Singur, it was different because it was fertile land and the landlosers who have not taken the compensation cheques were asking for return of the land and not asking for higher compensation, Chatterjee said quoting Ghatak.
Ghatak's remarks made in industrial town Durgapur yesterday had caused a flutter as it was in sharp contrast to Trinamool Congress' consistent stance seeking return of land to "unwilling farmers" in Singur.
In September 2008 during the previous Left Front regime, the Tatas had left Singur and set up their Nano car plant at Sanand in Gujarat following an agitation by the then opposition Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee over acquisition of land in the area.
A case regarding this is pending in the Supreme Court.
