With a massive rally at Club Maidan, the Left Front marked a happy return to Singur today after two years as farmers who have been opposed to the Tata plant indicated that they were willing to accept the Government’s new compensation package.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose announced that compensation cheques were “ready” with the district magistrate, and urged everyone to collect them before September 22.

The Left Front last held a rally in Singur in November 2006. Later, as the CPI(M) was targeted by allies over land acquisition for the Tata Nano factory, and Mamata Banerjee joined the protestors, the LF kept away.

The latest package by Chief Minister Buddadeb Bhattacharjee — offering 70 acres within the plant site and a 50 per cent hike in compensation — seems to have done the trick. Among those convinced is Anar Banu Begum, a resident of Joymollah and one of the 2,150 who had refused to accept the compensation for their land. She was present at the LF rally.

“Even if I get back my land from inside the project area, farming is no more possible there,” she said today. “I have heard I will not be able to re-sell it. So I have decided to collect compensation at the earliest.” Anar Banu’s 2.3 acres were acquired by the Government in September 2006.

Joydeb Das, a resident of Beraberi Purbapara, whose 8 bighas of land were acquired, was also rethinking his options. “Initially we were thinking of taking the compensation money. But after the murder of Tapasi Malik, we changed our mind. But now we are rethinking our decision as this may be the last chance of getting the money. The compensation is also not bad,” he said.

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