India / VP in Kolkata

"farmers are subsidising the corporate sector", VP

TOI, December 16

KOLKATA: Former prime minister V P Singh on Friday paid a visit to Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee's hunger strike podium at Esplande in Kolkata and sympathised with her cause against land acquisition for setting up factories.

On the other hand, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee ruled out any compromise on the Singur land acquisition. "We will not budge an inch from Singur," he told mediapersons. "People want industrialisation. The door for negotiations is open, though it could only be on the quantum of compensation."

Nor would the government forcibly break Mamata's indefinite hunger strike. "See for how long it continues, we will not apply force to evict her."

The former PM's request to Mamata to call off her fast for an all-India struggle which the former PM wanted to launch in support of his demand was turned down by her. "I will reconsider my life, if they consider the life of kisans ," she said. Singh also demanded an amendment by the UPA government at the Centre to the Land Acquisition Act of 1894.

"I don't accept corporates acquiring land with state governments' help. The prices at which the lands are being acquired, farmers are subsidising the corporate sector. This is wrong. All over the country this is happening. The corporates are denying farmers their rights and then enjoying subsidised power and water," Singh said.

The former PM wanted to take up the issue at the national level. He said he was "planning a national action, not a debate".

Singh said he would set up a national committee to spearhead the movement and invited Mamata to join it. "We must together put pressure on the UPA government to change the act."

Earlier during his meeting with Singh, the CM provided him with two documents, one of which was on the policy of the government on land which had been tabled in the assembly. He also furnished the ex-PM with information he sought on compensation being paid to bargadars — recorded and unrecorded.