Bengal begins demolishing Tata Motor buildings in Singur

The West Bengal government today began dismantling Tata Motor's abandoned shed in Gopalnagar sector of Singur in order to return the land to farmers as per the orders of the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court had on 31 August ruled that the land acquisition process in Singur was faulty and directed the state government to return it to the farmers within 12 weeks.

"Today in presence of Public Works Department officials, the district magistrate, Superintendent of Police and officials of the mechanized department of KMC, the work of dismantling the shed of Tata Motor's plant began. Today we had started it from the Gopalnagar sector of the plant. From tomorrow the work will start in a full-fledged way," a district official said.

State parliamentary minister Partha Chatterjee has been directed by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to supervise the work of dismantling of Tata Motor's plant from Wednesday.

Banerjee last week handed over land 'parchas' and cheques to the farmers in Singur even as she sent messages to various companies saying any company willing to set up auto firm in the state is "welcome".

Handing over the 'parchas' and cheques following a Supreme Court order in this regard, Banerjee, who had steered the massive agitation against the land acquisition for the Tatas' Nano car factory in Singur in 2006, said, "We want industry but not through forcible (land) acquisition."

'Parcha' is a document which establishes the ownership of a farmer over a piece of land in revenue records.