Tata Motors starts work at Singur small car plant

Kolkata: Tata Motors has made a symbolic gesture at starting construction work on its Rs1,000-crore small car plant in Singur at Hooghly district, which has been the scene of protests and agitations for the past couple of months.

A bhumi puja for the plant was held at the site on January 21 though not on land, the transfer of which is still a subject of controversy. There was a large police presence in the area and the district administration had extended the period for prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC till January 28.

Section 144 was first imposed on the area for a month on November 30 which was extended on December 29, the day Ms Mamata Banerjee ended her indefinite fast in the city.

A Tata Motors release said that the company had taken "initial preliminary steps for the construction of the small car plant with the consent of the West Bengal Industrial Development The company has already taken steps to train people from the area for association with the project and is also organising groups of women from affected Singur families to supply food to the construction workers.