Mamata, Bhattacharjee

Calcutta, Aug. 18: Mamata Banerjee has agreed to discuss Singur with the government after receiving a letter today from the chief minister.

The Trinamul Congress chief said she would send representatives to Writers’ Buildings for a discussion with Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee or his industries minister on Wednesday, four days before her siege of the Tata Motors plant is scheduled to start.

But she reaffirmed that the indefinite dharna around the small-car project site would go on unless the government agreed to return the 400 acres that she says were forcibly taken from farmers.

“The chief minister today wrote to me requesting a dialogue before my scheduled dharna from August 24,” Mamata told reporters this afternoon. Bhattacharjee’s letter did not mention a date for the talks.

“To reciprocate his gesture, I am sending party MLA Partha Chatterjee and Save Farmland Committee leader Purnendu Bose to Writers’ Buildings on Wednesday. I shall also write to him (Bhattacharjee) tomorrow,” Mamata said.

She read out the chief minister’s letter, delivered by a messenger, that addressed her as an MP.

Referring to the dharna, Bhattacharjee wrote: “But the project is of utmost importance for the state…. Once again I am requesting you to sit for discussions with the state government. If necessary, I or my minister in charge of the industry department can talk with you or your representatives.”

Mamata said there was “nothing much to be read into it (the letter)”.

Told about Mamata’s stand, industries minister Nirupam Sen said: “It’s good the Trinamul leadership wants to talk…. However, I will have to talk to the chief minister before making a final comment on the date.”

Mamata’s decision comes a day before she meets Bengal’s industry captains in an interactive session, and a day after Bhattacharjee announced that the government would not acquire land for industry without owners’ consent. Her aides said Mamata was influenced by three considerations.

One, she wants to shed her anti-industry image. Two, she wants to portray herself as a “responsible Opposition leader”. Three, she believes her representatives can persuade the government to shift the ancillary units from the Tata Motors site.

“My representatives will go to Writers’ armed with documents to legitimately demand the return of 400 acres. The government… can easily shift the ancillary units elsewhere,” Mamata told reporters. “If the government can get the Tatas to agree to return those 400 acres, I shall call off my dharna.”

The CPM today urged its Left Front allies to try and persuade Mamata to drop her demand for the return of the 400 acres, come up with “alternative proposals” and call off her Singur siege.

Bhattacharjee, Sen and CPM state secretary Biman Bose held separate meetings with RSP, CPI and Forward Bloc leaders to thrash out a common strategy to ensure the allies could speak to Mamata “in one voice”.

State home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti today met inspector-general (western range) Kuldeep Singh, Hooghly district magistrate Neelam Meena and district police chief Rajeev Mishra to discuss police arrangements for the August 24 dharna. Chakrabarti said the government would decide on August 21 whether it should clamp prohibitory orders.

He said the police would not allow forcible entry into the project area or any attempt to demolish the boundary walls.