Dr Singh, who has signed an agreement with his Russian counterpart for expanding civil nuclear cooperation for setting up of a nuclear power plants in the country, including one at Haripur in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, feels agitations over land acquisition and subsequent stalling  of projects may hamper the country’s economic growth.

With the Singur episode in the background the question is whether the Government will able to set the nuclear power plant at Hirapur in East Midnapore, the stronghold of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in view of her agitation against land acquisition.

A number of steel, power, chemical and automobile projects have been stalled because of the agitations by the farmers and local residents in West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and  Gujarat and different political parties have been trying to capitalize on such agitations for increasing their vote banks.

Even the prospect of the prestigious freight corridor project of the Indian Railways with Japanese assistance may be jeopardized because of agitations by the farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

The UPA leaders feel that growing agitations against land acquisition will not only delay or stalled industrial and infrastructural projects but also retarded the country’s economic growth. “Shifting from agriculture to industry is the established process of civilization and no country can afford to ignore its importance,” they said.

Being alarmed by such developments, which gained momentum after the Nandigram and Singur agitations by the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, The UPA Government had planned to introduce the land acquisition and relief and rehabilitation (amendment) bills. But the Centre could not do so because of stiff opposition by the UPA partner Trinamool Congress.

Observers feel that Mamata Banerjee’s demand of 100 per cent of acquisition of land by private promoters of any project may encourage the growing land mafias of the country.

“The role of the Government in land acquisition should not be diluted at any cost to save the poor farmers from the clutches of land mafias,” they said and pointed out that the proposed amendment enabling 70 per cent acquisition by the private party and 30 per cent by the Government should be changed in favour of the latter to safeguard the interest of the farmers.

“Any move to dilute the states’ role would be disastrous,” they observed and said the government’s role should be further increased to ensure better rehabilitation package for the poor farmers.

“There are many instances of successful land acquisition by the states with better rehabilitation package in the country, including West Bengal. The emphasis should be on better prices and rehabilitation package,” they pointed out.

A time had come, they said, when the Central Government should seriously consider the creation of a national rehabilitation fund with contribution from the state exchequer and the industries and formulate a national rehabilitation package for the displaced.

“In fact, the Centre and the State Governments should work together in creating the fund and formulating the package for the benefit of the land losers. Even the land losers can contribute to the fund a very minor portion of their earning by selling the land for a better rehabilitation package, they observed.

“Such funds and packages will not only prevent recurrence of Singur like situation, in which the Tatas were forced to abandon their project NANO, the cheapest car of the country, but also help the land losers to receive proper training and form self-help groups,” they said.

“Creation of such funds and better price of land will definitely reduce the tension in land acquisition, especially in the states, where land holdings are fragmented,” they remarked.

Ms. Banerjee has reportedly threatened to walk out of a cabinet meeting demanding absolute dilution of the state’s role in land acquisition but her Ministry is fully dependent on the State Governments for acquisition of land for their projects. “If Ms Banerjee’s demands are accepted most of the Central Government ministries will have to abandon their projects, which the country cannot afford to do,” the observers say.  

Ms. Banerjee, who is also the Railways Minister, takes pride in driving out the Tatas from Singur and stalling the chemical hub project in Nandigram causing much embarrassment to the ruling Left Front in West Bengal and depriving the state of an industrial turn around. But her agitation, which is spreading like a wild fire throughout the country, may jeopardize the fate of many ambitious projects across the country, including Nuclear power Plant at Haripur and Railways’ freight corridor project, which the country cannot afford.     

She has also demanded return of 400 acres of land to the unwilling farmers but her ministry has asked the Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat Governments to acquire land for the proposed freight corridor strangely at a much lower price than what the Left rulers had offered in Singur and Nandigram.

In fact, Union Minister of State and Trinamool Congress MP Sisir Adhikari has already vowed to stall the Hirapur Nuclear Power Plant project threatening even a bigger agitation than Nandigra and Singur.

The West Bengal Government, on the other hand, has written to the Railways to set up an integral railway coach factory in Singur. Ms Banerjee has earlier offered to set up the coach factory at Singur. Everyone will now closely follow her each and every move in Singur.

“If she fails to change her stand, such agitations may lead to breaking of relation with the Congress. In that eventuality, Nandigram, Singur and Haripur may well become her political burial ground,” the observers pointed out.