Kolkata: The CPI (ML) on Saturday hailed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's move to return 400 acres, acquired for the abandoned Tata Motors project at Singur, to the unwilling farmers, but said owners of the remaining 600 acres should also be compensated as no factory has come up there.
"We welcome the decision of Mamata Banerjee to return 400 acres to unwilling land-losers, but we feel that the land should be returned after making it cultivable," the party said in a statement.
At her first press conference after becoming the chief minister, Banerjee said yesterday that she would take steps to return 400 acre from the Tata Motors project land to the unwilling farmers and said the Tatas were welcome to set up a factory on the remaining 600 acres.
The CPI (ML), however, demanded adequate compensation also for the land-owners of the remaining 600 acres as the land had been acquired 'forcibly' and no factory came up on it.
Demanding adequate compensation for five years for all registered and unregistered share-croppers, deed-holders and agricultural workers in Singur, it said the new government must also take steps to mitigate the problems of farmers as a number of them committed suicide due to hunger.
The CPI (ML) will hold state-wide programmes on 'Naxalbari Day' on May 25 to demand protection of farmers' rights, the statement said.
It also demanded that court cases against those involved in the movements in Singur, Nandigram and Lalgarh be withdrawn.
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