Date:22/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/01/22/stories/2007012203440100.htm

Tata Motors flags off work at Singur small car plant

Our Bureau

Govt to formally hand over land in a couple of weeks

THE FIRST STEPS: Daily wage labourers are engaged in construction work after the `Bhumi Puja' ceremony of the Tata Motors small car project in Singur in West Bengal on Sunday. — A. Roy Chowdhury

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Kolkata Jan. 21 Tata Motors took a giant step today with the notional beginning of construction work on its Rs 1,000-crore small car plant in Singur at Hooghly district, which has been mired in protests and agitations for the past couple of months.

Earlier in the day, the bhumi puja for the plant was held at the site but not on land, the transfer of which is still a subject of controversy.

Heavy security

There was a large police presence in the area.

Yesterday, the district administration had extended the period for prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC till January 28.

The District Magistrate, Mr Vinod Kumar, said that the extension of the period was needed to keep the situation under control.

Section 144 was first imposed on the area for a month on November 30.

It 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 Corporation."

The civil construction of the plant is being initiated by the company.

Through contractors and sub-contractors it will deploy "appropriate and necessary" local people in various unskilled and skilled assignments.

The company has already taken steps to train people from the area for association with the project.

It is also organising groups of women from affected Singur families to supply food to the construction workers.