West Bengal CM says talks with Ashok Leyland to revive Singur plant

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the state is negotiating with Ashok Leyland to set up a vehicle plant at Singur, reviving the site left vacant after Tata’s Nano project was abandoned in 2008.

Government Approach

Adhikari said the land at Singur now belongs to farmers and will be bought, not seized. He mentioned talks with HUDCO, NABARD and the Asian Development Bank for funds to purchase land. He added that the new 34‑page Investment Promotion Policy does not cover land, and a separate land‑acquisition policy is being prepared. Officials are studying land‑purchase models used in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. In the last five months the state handed over land to 33 firms such as Amul, Vedanta Group, Campa Cola and Reliance to set up new plants.

Industry Response

Several industry leaders have met the CM and promised to start new units or expand existing ones on the land already allocated. The CM warned that companies sitting on unused plots must either begin operations within three months or return the land at the purchase price.

Context

The Singur episode became a political flashpoint when Tata quit in 2008 after protests led by Mamata Banerjee. The Trinamool Congress later returned the land to farmers. Adhikari’s current stance seeks a middle path: buying land from owners while avoiding police‑forced acquisition.