(Left to right) Rabindranath Bhattacharya, Subrata Gupta, Neelam Meena and Becharam Manna at the meeting. Picture by Amit Datta

Calcutta, Sept. 9: The Tatas have written to the Bengal government they want to be “cle-arly” told about any commitment “which would go contrary to our agreement” on a day the Trinamul Congress iterated its demand for 300 acres from the Nano project.

After Mamata Banerjee upped her pitch yesterday, industries minister Nirupam Sen had clarified that splitting the plant was not a possibility.

In response, Tata Motors managing director Ravi Kant today wrote: “We have noted your clarification that the government will maintain the integrated nature of the auto cluster… as assured and agreed earlier. Therefore, the government should not take any steps which will disturb this arrangement. We would like to be clearly told about any future understandings, agreement or commitment which would go contrary to our agreement and... result in not honouring those commitments.”

At the first meeting of the panel formed to ascertain the scope of land return in Singur, the government tried to explain to the Trinamul representatives why the project could not be carved up.

West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation MD Subrata Gupta and Hooghly district magistrate Neelam Meena, who represented the state, said the government was committed to keeping the entire project area, which includes the vendor park, intact.

Singur MLA Rabindranath Bhattacharya, however, iterated the Trinamul stand after the meeting. “We told the government representatives that 300 acres from the project area should be returned. They spoke about their problems and difficulties, but we are sticking to our demand.”

The other Trinamul representative, Becharam Manna, told the meeting nearly 200 acres were “lying unused” in the vendor park as some 30 anci- llary units hadn’t started con-struction.

“They can be asked to shift to the other side of Durgapur Expressway,” Manna said.

The officials told him that the portion of the vendor park where construction hadn’t begun was not vacant. Some of the vendors were filling the land, while some were waiting for the monsoon to be over. None of them could be shifted.

Sources said the Trinamul duo heard out the details about the integrated nature of the small-car project. It was explained to them how the project would collapse if a part of its area had to be taken away.

The Trinamul leaders proposed a site inspection tomorrow to ascertain the amount of land available.

Industries minister Nirupam Sen said: “I wouldn’t say whether the return of 300 acres is feasible or not as that may disturb the ongoing talks. But they (the Trinamul men in the committee) are reasonable people and would well understand what to do and what not to do to save the project.”

He was hopeful that the “positive talks” would lead to a solution.

Bhattacharya and Manna went to Mamata Banerjee’s house after the meeting to report what had been discussed. Sources said the duo’s reactions at the meeting may have been positive but the ultimate decision rested with Mamata.

The Trinamul chief later iterated her demand for 300 acres from within the project. “There will be no confusion if we go by the agreement signed in front of the governor on Sunday night. It said maximum land would be given from within the project site,” she said.

Asked about Sen’s charge that she was misinterpreting the agreement, Mamata flared up: “There is no scope for any misunderstanding or misinterpretation if it is read in its true spirit.”