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The Steel Authority of India has shown interest in setting up a Metro railway coach factory at the abandoned Nano car site at Singur, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday.
The disclosure comes on a date when a section of Bengal business magnates, led by the likes of BK Birla, started a nine-day maha yagna of Goddess Mahalakshmi, seeking blessings for a turnaround in the State’s investment climate.
“We have received a letter from SAIL, which wants to set up a Metro railway coach factory at Singur. We have no objections if they do it on 600 acres which can be made available for them,” said Banerjee, adding that she had spoken to Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi and “he is also keen in joining hands”.
The Railways would soon write to the State Government seeking permission, she said.
The Chief Minister said both the Railways and SAIL could well be partners in the venture as “I had offered to set up a factory at the Singur site when I was the Railway Minister”. She said the State would also like to be a part of the venture.
The land in question is the one earlier leased out by the former Left Front Government to the Tata Motors for the botched Nano project. It was later vested by the new Trinamool Government through the new Singur Land Rehabilitation & Development Act, 2011.
“We are committed to give away the 400 acres to unwilling farmers and give the remaining 600 acres for setting up the factory,” said Banerjee, reminding that she could not, however, do so because of certain legal hurdles.
Though the Tata Motors have lost the initial suit in Calcutta High Court challenging the legality of the new law options were still open before it to move the Supreme Court. Banerjee also announced a number of industrial projects in the offing.
“A two-wheeler factory from south India would soon open shop at a site in Howrah abandoned by another two-wheeler company,” she said reminding the Government was “almost through with its Nayachar venture where a nature-friendly project is coming up”.
Another Rs 1,000-crore gas plant owned by the HPCL was coming up in Burdwan she said.
The disclosure comes on a date when a section of Bengal business magnates, led by the likes of BK Birla, started a nine-day maha yagna of Goddess Mahalakshmi, seeking blessings for a turnaround in the State’s investment climate.
“We have received a letter from SAIL, which wants to set up a Metro railway coach factory at Singur. We have no objections if they do it on 600 acres which can be made available for them,” said Banerjee, adding that she had spoken to Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi and “he is also keen in joining hands”.
The Railways would soon write to the State Government seeking permission, she said.
The Chief Minister said both the Railways and SAIL could well be partners in the venture as “I had offered to set up a factory at the Singur site when I was the Railway Minister”. She said the State would also like to be a part of the venture.
The land in question is the one earlier leased out by the former Left Front Government to the Tata Motors for the botched Nano project. It was later vested by the new Trinamool Government through the new Singur Land Rehabilitation & Development Act, 2011.
“We are committed to give away the 400 acres to unwilling farmers and give the remaining 600 acres for setting up the factory,” said Banerjee, reminding that she could not, however, do so because of certain legal hurdles.
Though the Tata Motors have lost the initial suit in Calcutta High Court challenging the legality of the new law options were still open before it to move the Supreme Court. Banerjee also announced a number of industrial projects in the offing.
“A two-wheeler factory from south India would soon open shop at a site in Howrah abandoned by another two-wheeler company,” she said reminding the Government was “almost through with its Nayachar venture where a nature-friendly project is coming up”.
Another Rs 1,000-crore gas plant owned by the HPCL was coming up in Burdwan she said.
