Tata Motors shifts Nano car plant

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Tata Motors Ltd will move the factory for its low-cost Nano car out of West Bengal after violent protests by farmers who lost land forced it to stop construction work at Singur last month, it said.

'Tata pullout a 'plan' with Left government'
Terming the Tata Motors' decision to pull out of West Bengal as a "joint game plan" between the auto major and the state government, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday said it would be "unfair" if the Tatas blame her party for their decision.

"The entire issue is a joint game plan by the Tata Motors and the CPI-M. The decision to shift the Nano unit from West Bengal is simply an outcome of a political joint venture between both parties - Tatas and the CPI-M," Banerjee said here.

"The Trinamool Congress never wanted Tatas to shift their small car unit from Singur. We reached an accord Sep 7 saying that both Tatas and the ancillary industries would stay in Singur, but the interests of the farmers who had given land for the project, should also be taken care of by the government."

"We still believe industry and agriculture can go hand in hand," she said, adding, "now it'll be unfair if the Tatas blame Trinamool for their decision."

After a closed-door meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Industry Minister Nirupam Sen, Tata Group chief Ratan Tata announced here Friday that he would move the Nano car factory out of West Bengal.

He said the decision to shift the project was taken following farmers' protests and was also in consideration of the well-being and safety of all employees and vendors working at the unit.

"I still don't understand why the agreement between Tatas Motors and the state government is being kept in the dark? I don't understand why it cannot be shared with the commoners? I am quite sure that there must be something wrong in the agreement and that's why the government is trying to hide it," Banerjee charged.