Japan keeping a close eye on Singur crisis

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Kolkata, Aug 31 : Fujio Samukawa, the consul general of Japan, on Sunday said that the Japanese government and investors were closely monitoring the situation in Singur.

“We think that the government and the Opposition should sit together and negotiate the issue,” said Samukawa. Japanese company Mitsubishi is a significant investor in the state and the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) is one of the prime lenders for the much awaited East West Metro corridor, which will entail an investment of Rs 4676 crore. The JBIC will give 45% of the total amount as loan. The consul general made reference to newspaper reports on Japanese experts leaving the construction site in Singur. “We hope that they will return after the situation turns normal”, he said on the sidelines of a programme at the IIM Calcutta.

Samukawa said the project has caught the attention of the whole world.When the project for Nano car was announced, we were wondering how anyone could manufacture a car so cheap.

Meanwhile, a 16-member delegation of the Trinamool Congress and smaller parties met West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi here on Sunday. Gandhi had written a letter to Mamata Banerjee regarding the Singur impasse. TMC leader Partha Chatterjee led the delegation. The meeting lasted over half an hour. Without disclosing what transpired in the meeting, Chatterjee told reporters that “we have informed him (governor) of our stand and listened to his views. We will inform the Trinamool Congress chief about our talks with the governor and she will say whatever has to be said.” The Left Front at its meeting also discussed the Singur situation in detail. Front chairman Biman Bose said a proposal has come to call an all party meeting over Singur. The Front is considering the proposal.Sharing the anxiety of Tatas, West Bengal government on Sunday said it is “legally” not possible to return the land acquired under the acquisition law, while hoping that the corporate giant will not withdraw the small-car project from Singur. “The way Mamata Banerjee (Trinamool Congress President) is demanding, it is impossible for the state government to meet her demand. Legally, it is not possible to return the land acquired under Land Acquisition Act,” West Bengal industry minister Nirupam Sen saidwhile quoting a rulingfrom the Supreme Court.