It would be a setback if Tatas leave Singur: Pranab

Berhampore (WB), Sep 21 (PTI) If the Tatas were forced to leave Singur, the site of small car project, it would be a setback to industrialisation, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Sunday.

"If a company like Tata leaves Singur, it would be a
setback to industrialisation," Mukherjee told reporters here.

"I hold that there is no conflict between agriculture and
industry," he said.

"I think that the transition from agriculture to industry
is a process for the forward movement for civilisation, and if
anyone wants to turn the wheels of progress back, it is going
against historical necessity," he said.

Mukherjee had said Saturday that the Centre had no scope
for intervention in Singur row. "It would mean return to the
old 'licence Raj era'. The Centre cannot say on where
investments would go."

The Trinamool Congress has been demanding return of 300
acres of land from the project site to be returned to
unwilling land-losers and 100 acres from outside, while Chief
Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has offered 70 acres within
the project and an enhanced compensation package, both for
those who willingly gave their land and those who were
unwilling. PTI PKC