Calcutta, Aug. 23: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said he was working on an “alternative rehabilitation package” for Singur’s unwilling landlosers and added that “theoretically” some plots were taken over “forcibly”.

The conciliatory signals came a day ahead of the Singur siege by Mamata Banerjee, who has been asking the government to publicly admit that it forcibly acquired land for the Nano project.

“It is true we have taken over land under the present land acquisition act, so theoretically it is tantamount to forcible acquisition,” the chief minister said. “But most of the land owners have accepted it and received the compensation.”

He ruled out returning land as demanded by Mamata but said: “We are working on several packages on rehabilitation and alternative livelihood, particularly for those landlosers and the local poor who were dependent on the plots. But I can’t disclose it before discussing it with the Opposition.’’

Asked if he was considering alternative plots and additional compensation, Bhattacharjee parried: “I am ready to solve the problems. I am expecting some papers from the Trinamul Congress.”

Industries minister Nirupam Sen had ruled out both options yesterday. He had said the government couldn’t provide alternative plots since land prices in the area had shot up “sky-high” and it didn’t want another round of acquisition trouble.

Neither could the government discriminate against farmers who had sold their land “willingly” by paying extra compensation to their “unwilling” counterparts, Sen had added.

CPM sources said the package could include a pension for the most affected landlosers, jobs for the solely land-dependent families, loans for small business, or formation of vocational co-operatives. There could be something for the unorganised sharecroppers, too.

Bhattacharjee, unusually, held the media briefing at the party headquarters after an emergency Left Front meeting. Both he and front chairman Biman Bose appealed to Mamata to keep her agitation peaceful and resolve the dispute through dialogue.

On Ratan Tata’s warning yesterday about a possible pullout, the chief minister said: “I share his anxiety. But I am telling him again, please bear with us. The people of Bengal want the Tata project…. I am an optimist and I am sure the car will roll out from Singur in October.”