Jyoti Basu

Calcutta, Sept. 19: The CPM state secretariat today egged Jyoti Basu on to read out a statement urging the Opposition and the unwilling farmers to accept the new compensation package and “co-operate with the government” to end the Singur stalemate.

“The Singur project is very important.… The state will witness economic progress and employment will increase with its implementation,” the CPM patriarch said.

“More investment will come to the state as the project takes shape…. The state’s image will suffer in the country and abroad if the world-class project is not implemented here. All should welcome the development of the state irrespective of their political position.”

He didn’t name the Trinamul Congress or the unwilling farmers but urged “all concerned” to accept the government’s new compensation package. “I appeal to those who are opposing the project to rise above politics in the interest of the state and co-operate with the state government to resume work at the project.”

CPM state secretary Biman Bose joined him in urging Mamata to “see reason” and end her agitation demanding the return of 300 acres from the project site.

Mamata refused to respond to Basu’s appeal.

The party’s initiative came in the wake of Mamata’s visit to Basu’s house in an apparent bid to drive a wedge in the CPM. The move was mooted when party general secretary Prakash Karat and Bose called on Basu yesterday.

Bose went to Basu again after the weekly state secretariat meeting today, which both chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and industries minister Nirupam Sen attended.

Basu, 94, who has a blood clot in the brain, had returned home after 10 days in hospital only on Tuesday.

CPM secretariat members, however, ruled out any administrative step if the Trinamul chief refused to budge. “Mamata wants violence, the imposition of Section 144 (prohibitory orders), police action and dead bodies. We won’t oblige her. Let the people realise her real intentions,” said party veteran Benoy Konar.

Another reason for the reluctance to take any such step is Ratan Tata’s assertion that he wouldn’t like to run a factory with police protection, secretariat member Madan Ghosh said.

“We are still trying to make the project happen. But it is no more in our hands. Everything depends on the Tatas and Trinamul,’’ said Konar.

PIL thrown out

The Calcutta High Court today refused to hear a PIL moved by a Delhi-based NGO demanding its intervention to ensure the Tata Motors project stayed in Singur.

“How can the court interfere in the matter?” the division bench of Chief Justice S.S. Nijjar and Justice S. Banerjee said and dismissed the plea.