In a House where no Opposition member was present the Singur Bill seeking to empower the West Bengal government to return land to farmers was passed on Thursday. The Bill – The Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011, -- was passed by voice vote as members of the Opposition Left parties walked out in protest against major loopholes in the content of the Bill.
Before walkout, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly and member of the Central Committee of the CPI (M), Surya Kanta Mishra was critical of the haste over tabling of the Bill which has left the Opposition hardly any time to scrutinize it. However, there were many loopholes and discrepancies in the content of the Bill, he said. Mishra made it clear that the Bill had created distinct division among farmers in Singur branding one section as so-called “unwilling” who refused to give land and another section as “willing” who handed over land.
The Opposition Leader Mishra said the CPI (M) was not opposed to the return of land to “unwilling” farmers but the Bill should not be reduced to being just a “gimmick.”
Meanwhile, reacting sharply to comments made in the Bill regarding “non-commissioning and abandoning” of the project at Singur, Tata Motors, in a press note said, “ The Bill does not state the reasons for stoppage of operations and shifting of the plant.” Tata Motors “wants to clarify that the operations of setting up and commissioning of the plant was conducted under very difficult conditions amidst violence disruption activities, damage to property and threats to personnel.”
Before walkout, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly and member of the Central Committee of the CPI (M), Surya Kanta Mishra was critical of the haste over tabling of the Bill which has left the Opposition hardly any time to scrutinize it. However, there were many loopholes and discrepancies in the content of the Bill, he said. Mishra made it clear that the Bill had created distinct division among farmers in Singur branding one section as so-called “unwilling” who refused to give land and another section as “willing” who handed over land.
The Opposition Leader Mishra said the CPI (M) was not opposed to the return of land to “unwilling” farmers but the Bill should not be reduced to being just a “gimmick.”
Meanwhile, reacting sharply to comments made in the Bill regarding “non-commissioning and abandoning” of the project at Singur, Tata Motors, in a press note said, “ The Bill does not state the reasons for stoppage of operations and shifting of the plant.” Tata Motors “wants to clarify that the operations of setting up and commissioning of the plant was conducted under very difficult conditions amidst violence disruption activities, damage to property and threats to personnel.”
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