Mamata promises trauma centre to Singur farmers

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday promised to set up a "trauma centre at Singur" where a number of farmers have committed suicide after they failed to get back their land which was taken away for Tata Motor's small car project during the Left regime.

"Our government will set up a trauma centre at Singur and I have asked Becharam Manna (Minister of State for Agriculture) to arrange four acres of land for the trauma centre," Mamata announced at a government programme at Polba - 20 kilometres from Singur- on Saturday.

Mahadeb Das, a senior Singur Krishi Jomi Raksha committee leader said five farmers whose farmland were taken away forcefully by the Left Front in 2006 have committed suicide as they could not get their land back.

"The land dispute is now pending in the court. We are waiting for the verdict. I believe that the people of Singur will win. But we have to keep patience," Mamata said.

After coming to power, Mamata Banerjee government's first Cabinet decision was to return land to unwilling farmers of Singur. After that her government has received severe setback from the Kolkata High Court, which declared the state government's Singur land reclamation law unconstitutional. Later, the state government moved the Supreme Court. The unwilling farmers of Singur have already started getting vocal against the Mamata Banerjee's party and for delay in returning land to them. Now they are raising voice in favour of an out-of-court settlement with the Tatas.

Realising that the party is fast losing popularity in Singur for failing to deliver on her promise, Mamata on Thursday urged the unwilling farmers not to lose patience. She also sent out a message to the farmers that she has not forgotten the promise she made to them.

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