Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told Left Front leaders on Thursday that Tata Motors has informed the Government that they will return the Singur land to the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC).

In a meeting of the Left Front at the CPM headquarters at Alimuddin Street, Bhattacharjee said the vendors will first shift their equipment and materials. Only then, they will return the land, the CM reportedly said.

Of the 997 acres acquired, the WBIDC had leased out 657 acres to Tata Motors in May 2007. The remaining 340 acres were kept for the vendor park and other socio-economic and environmental projects.

The Singur land issue was discussed on Thursday after the Forward Bloc and RSP mounted pressure on the CPM to ask the chief minister to write to Ratan Tata for return of the land.

Front chairman Biman Bose told the media: “We have asked the state Government to go ahead and set up alternative industries at Singur.”

Since the Tatas had decided not to utilise the acquired land for the Nano project, they must return the land to the state Government for alternative industries. Otherwise, the land has to be auctioned. Under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, it cannot be returned to the farmers, Bose said.

According to sources in the CPM, the Chief Minister had said the possibility of setting up alternative industry at the site was being explored. Although there is no concrete proposal yet, the Government is looking for a large manufacturing industry to set up base there. Saying talks are on in this regard, Bhattacharjee had said the Government is looking into all possibilities.