Trouble ahead for Tata Nano in Gujarat?

After all the problems in West Bengal, Ratan Tata's Nano may just run into trouble in its new home, Gujarat.

A group of 23 Rajput families are demanding compensation for what they say is their land in Sanand. These families lay historical claim to roughly 1000 acres of land that the Gujarat government has given to the Tata plant.(Watch)

They claim to have documents to question the Gujarat government's claims. that it is government land. They say the land was leased by them to the Raj-era government in 1902 for a period of 99 years.

In 1911, the government used the land to build the Anand Agriculture University.

But villagers like Manuba Vaghela claim that though the lease period of 99 years ended in 2001, they never got their land back and say if the land is being handed over to the Tatas, they would want some compensation.

"We just got to know that state government handed over this land to the Tatas. We don't have any objection on it except the fact that we should be compensated for our land," said Manuba Vaghela, villager.

"We are the owners of the land and if we are not properly compensated, we will resort to agitations, satyagraha," said Manuba Vaghela, villager.

But the government says that since the lease expired in 2001, and the lease contract was not renewed, the land is now owned by government, and so there is no obstacle to hand it over to Tata Motors.

Nor do they need to pay compensation The Gujarat Chief Minister says there will be no Singur in Gujarat.

"People in Gujarat have a big heart. If you go through the newspapers of the last three days, you can figure out how happy the farmers in Sanand are," said Narendra Modi, Chief Minister, Gujarat.

Government and Tata sources say the villagers have raised objections only because of the Nano announcement. But the villagers say they have been in the court of city principal judge, Ahmedabad over the ownership of the land, since 2006.
source:ndtv