The mood in Singur, however, does not match Santosh’s good cheer. As final touches are being made in Mumbai for the launch of the Nano on Monday, abandoned shops, unemployed youths, empty ATM counters, dot the landscape of Singur, depicting the tragedy of a missed opportunity.

The nearly completed factory stands desolate, housing the gigantic equipment that is now wrapped up in sheets of plastic. “I used to work in the electrical maintenance department and got Rs 1,700 per month. In January, I stopped getting my salary. Now, I have to think a hundred times before I visit the pharmacy when my baby falls ill,” says Monimohan Bangal, 27. He was in the first batch of local youths who received training at different ITIs in the state and served as an apprentice in Tata’s Pune factory before being inducted into the Singur plant.

The three-bigha land owned by Monimohan’s family in Gopalnagar was acquired for the car project. “Now, we only have 1.5 acres. We have also spent most of the money. My ATM card, given by the company, has also become invalid. We are all shattered,” adds Monimohan.

Amar Santra and Muzaffar Mullick are once again living hand-to-mouth, but now they also bear an additional burden of debt. The duo had bought motorcycle vans and used to ferry workers from Singur station to the Nano factory. Today, there are no passengers.

“We were among the 100 unemployed youths who bought motorcycle vans to carry workers to the plant and charged Rs 5 per head. Now, we return empty-handed,” says Santra.

“I used to sell goods of Rs 5,000 daily. Now, I hardly get Rs 100,” says Ramen Pakhira, whose shop lies close to the factory site.

Then there are over 300 people who pooled in the money they got as compensation against their land to form syndicates to supply raw materials to the factory. After work stopped in the plant in September last year, they are yet to get their money back.

“The Nano was a dream for us, but now that dream has shattered,” says Debi Das, a resident of Gopalnagar.