Tata Motors suspends work at Singur plant

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Tata Motors on Tuesday said it has suspended construction and commissioning work at the Nano plant in Singur “in view of continued confrontation and agitation at the site”. It is also evaluating alternative options to manufacture the Rs 1-lakh Nano at other company facilities. A detailed plan to relocate the plant and machinery to an alternative site is under preparation, the company said.

This decision, it said, was taken in order to ensure the safety of its employees and contract labour, “who have continued to be violently obstructed from reporting to work”.

The decision to suspend work followed five consecutive days of work cancellation at Singur, following an offensive launched by Trinamool Congress party workers under its leader, Mamata Banerjee, outside the company’s plant.

“The company has assessed the prevailing situation in Singur… and believes that there is no change in the volatile situation around the plant,” Tata Motors said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Mamata Banerjee, reacting to the Tata statement, said: “It is an internal and technical decision of the Tatas. I have nothing to say.” The Tata Motors broadside sent her into an emergency huddle with lieutenants at their Singur campsite.

A stunned state government and administration had no comment to make. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who was in a meeting with the governor when the Tata announcement came in, left without making any statement.

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