Tata asks WB to choose between development and lawlessness

Kolkata, Oct 17 (PTI) After squarely blaming Mamata Banerjee for the Nano pullout from Singur, Ratan Tata Friday kept the embers burning asking the people of West Bengal to choose between supporting the present government in building a prosperous state or see it consumed by a "destructive political environment."

The comments by the Chairman of the Tata group in an open
letter to the people of West Bengal drew immediate criticism
from the opposition parties-- Banerjee's Trinamool Congress
and the Congress-- who described it as 'politically motivated'
and 'unprecedented'.

A Left Front partner--Forward Bloc-- also reacted
sharply saying the comments on the internal politics of West
Bengal, was 'undesirable'.

The letter which appeared in a few dailies said the
citizens should decide whether they wanted education and jobs
in the industrial and hi-tech sectors or a 'stay as we are'
basis.

"The people of West Bengal, particularly the younger
citizens, will need to express their views and aspirations as
to what they would like to see West Bengal become in the years
ahead," the letter said.

"Would they like to support the present government of
Buddhadev Bhattacharjee to build a prosperous state with the
rule of law, modern infrastructure and industrial growth, or
would they like to see the state consumed by a destructive
political environment of confrontation, agitation, violence
and lawlessness?," Tata asked.

"It is unprecedented. I have never heard of an
industrialist giving a statement directly in favour of a
state government and its chief minister and directly against
a major opposition party," senior Trinamool leader Saugata Roy
said.

Defending his decision to withdraw the Nano small car
project from Singur, Tata said it was not taken in haste.

Tata said he was compelled to write the letter to explain
how his company's dream was shattered by an environment of
"politically motivated agitation and hostility that finally
left us with no option but to withdraw the project from the
state".

He said Tata Motors had decided to locate the Nano
project in West Bengal two years ago which 'reflected the
tremendous faith and confidence we had, and still have, in the
investment friendly policies' of the present government.

"All through the two years we have been constructing the
plant at Singur, this feeling of faith and confidence in the
vision and objectives of the state government has been
reinforced," Tata wrote in his letter.

"Unfortunately, the confrontation by Trinamool Congress
led by Mamata Banerjee and supported by vested interests and
certain political parties, opposing the acquisition of land by
the state government, have caused serious disruptions to the
progress of the Nano plant," he said.

He wrote that "the land acquired by the state government
at Singur and leased to Tata Motors has been, we believe,
through a transparent process with fair compensation."

"It sounds like a statement issued on the eve of
the Lok Sabha election. I do not know why Mr Ratan Tata
brought himself to this level. It was not expected," Roy said.

"His statement will give rise to the suspicion that
Tata's movement was in conjunction with the state government
and the Marxist party to help them politically," he said.

State Congress working president Subrata Mukherjee
said Tata's open letter was "in bad taste for a monopoly
businessman to to speak in favour of a political party."
PTI DC