Singur, Jan. 18: Joydeb Ghosh whooped in joy as he caught the news flash on television — the court had okayed the land acquisition in Singur.

The man in his late 60s read the scroll again and again and called out for his 14-year-old granddaughter Mandira.

He fished out a Rs 100 note from his pocket and gave it to her. “Get some sweets.”

The resident of Ghoshpara in Gopalnagar had got Rs 36 lakh for the 4.5 acres he sold to the government.

“I used to cultivate paddy. Now I want a Tata Nano showroom,” said Joydeb.

An MRF tyres dealer, he has approached the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation with the showroom proposal.

Its managing director, M.V. Rao, today promised “further discussions” on it.

Joydeb said he had identified a plot at Ratanpur, about 5km from the car plant, for his showroom.

Apart from land at a suitable place, a car dealer is expected to spend Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore to build infrastructure necessary for the showroom. He should also have a working capital of Rs 1 crore to 4 crore depending on the showroom’s location.

Abhranil Ghosh of Kamarkundu, who had received an appointment letter from Tata Motors last week, was also happy.

“We were tense about the verdict. I feel relieved now. I’m leaving for Jamshedpur on February 1,” said Ghosh, who will undergo a 15-month training at the Tata Motors plant in Jamshedpur.

The Singur unit of the CPM brought out a “victory procession” this evening. The party will parade those who have benefited from the plant at a rally here on January 24.

The mood was despondent on the other side of the divide.

“The government had forcibly acquired my 1.5 acres. I am not accepting the court’s verdict. Well go to the Supreme Court,” said Maya Rani Kolay, 55, a few yards from Ghosh’s house.

Kolay, who was glued to television since morning, is a key functionary of the Save Farmland Committee.

“I was beaten up and arrested with Didi (Mamata Banerjee) while launching the agitation on September 25, 2006,” she said.

Tarak Bala Kolay, 45, also of Gopalnagar, was so upset that he could not take his lunch. She had an acre. “I don’t know what will happen to us,” she said.