Indian protesters back at Tata plant
Tens of thousands of demonstrators staged fresh protests yesterday outside the Indian factory slated to make the world's cheapest car after claims of broken promises.
The protesters, who were demanding return of land acquired for the plant, returned to the site in Singur town in eastern West Bengal state more than a week after calling off a siege of the factory where the 2,260-dollar Nano car is due to be built by vehicle giant Tata Motors.
"We want 300 acres (120 hectares) of land from Nano plant," the protesters shouted at the site, near state capital Kolkata.
Nearly 35,000 people turned up for the protests, police said.
The state's opposition Trinamool Congress party, which is spearheading the protests, said earlier this month it had reached a deal with the state government that would see some of the land returned to displaced farmers.
The agreement had put an end to the protests, with the state government saying it would give the 300 acres the demonstrators were demanding.
But it has since said it will only give back 70 acres.
"We are against the package announced by the state government," Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee told the gathering.
Work building the Nano factory has been suspended for weeks after protesters threatened violence against construction workers.
The plant is 90 percent complete and Tata Motors -- India's largest vehicle maker -- had said it aimed to launch the Nano in October in time for the big-spending Hindu festival season.
Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata has warned he would move the plant out of West Bengal if the demonstrations continued, even though Tata Motors has poured 350 million dollars into the project.
Protests against the plant have been going on for two years but demonstrations had escalated in recent weeks with protesters besieging the factory and threatening to kill workers.
The West Bengal government had wooed Tata Motors to set up the plant, hoping it would lead the way for the state's industrial resurgence and create jobs.
The dispute reflects a wider conflict between farmers and industry over land rights across the nation.
On one side are many farmers who say they will starve without their land, while business and government say India must industrialise to create jobs for its army of young people.
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