Our Bureau

Kolkata, Sept. 16 The ruling Left Front on Monday held a mammoth rally in Singur as part of its endeavour to reach out to the “unwilling farmers” and impress upon them the spin-off economic benefits of the Tata Nano project and also to urge them to accept their compensation cheques.

The Chairman of the Left Front, Mr Biman Bose, said the compensation package was formulated keeping in mind the best interests of landowners, farmers, sharecroppers and all other stakeholders. No other State could offer a better compensation package, he said.

He presented a strong case in favour of industry and stressed that industrialisation was required to take the State’s economy forward and facilitate the creation of job opportunities for all.

Mr Bose urged the “unwilling farmers” to accept the latest compensation package offered and collect their cheques by September 22.

Sources said several “unwilling farmers” had changed their mind and agreed to accept the enhanced compensation package. One such landowner walked up to the dais at Singur while the Left Front leaders were delivering their speeches and said she had changed her mind and would now accept the compensation package.

Meanwhile, one major investor in the State has said the events in Singur would not impact investment interest in West Bengal. The Chairman of the Rs 2,200-crore turnover Jai Balaji Group, Mr Aditya Jajodia, told newspersons on Monday that the developments in Singur would not impact investment in the State.

The Jai Balaji Group is setting up a 5 mtpa (million tonnes per annum) integrated steel plant at Raghunathpur in Purulia at a cumulative investment of Rs 16,000 crore.

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