CPI-M Central Committee to discuss Singur issue

Agartala, Sept 6: The Singur issue of West Bengal is likely to be discussed at the CPI-M Central Committee meeting in New Delhi on September 17-19, a party leader said here on Tuesday. “The Central Committee meeting in New Delhi is likely to discuss the Singur issue. The Tripura state committee of the party can not make any comment on the issue before the media as the Politburo of the CPI-M has made a statement,” said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Central Committee member Bijan Dhar.

Replying to a question on the issue, he said: “The CPI-M West Bengal state Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra also made a statement on the Singur issue. We (Tripura CPI-M unit) have no right to comment before the media on the issue of another state.”

The Supreme Court recently struck down the acquisition of 997.11 acres of land by the then CPI(M)-led Left Front government in Bengal’s Singur (in Hooghly district) for setting up the small car factory of the Tata Motors.

Following the judgement, the CPI-M politburo said: “The acquisition process had to be undertaken under the 1894 Land Acquisition Act, which was the only legal instrument available at that time. This was an Act which did not protect the interests of the farmers adequately.” On land acquisition, the CPI-M had earlier acknowledged in its Central Committee review report of the 2011 assembly elections that the administrative and political mistakes in this regard proved costly.  (IANS)