Chief minister BuddhadebBhattacharjee said in the Left Front meeting on Thursday that Tata motors would return the Singur land to the West Bengal government, thus setting to rest speculation over the fateof the leased land. Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata told Bhattacharjee that hewouldn't hold on to the land that Tata Motors took on lease from the WestBengal Industrial Development Corporation.

The CM told the Left Front partners that his government didn't release the Rs200-crore soft loan that Tatas had sought to set up the small-car factory. Thecompany didn't pay the lease money, the CM said, assuring the partners that thegovernment was exploring alternative projects in the area. "Quite a fewproposals are with us. We are weighing options. Maybe, we have to go for anindustrial park, instead of a single mega project. WBIDC will have full controlover the park. Whatever the choice, the government won’t depart from theindustrial course," he said.

When RSP leader Manoj Bhattacharya asked about transport minister SubhasChakrabarty's statement regarding a major investment after the Nano pullout,the CM said it was a comment from his "over-enthusiastic colleague".

After the meeting, LF chairman Biman Bose announced the Front's decision to setup industry in Singur. "We will urge the government to take up the causein right earnest. The government should take proper steps, discuss themodalities. Land was acquired for industries and it should be used for thatpurpose. The government will take the call on what kind of industries will comeup," Bose said. Bose, however, pointed out that the change of hands wouldtake sometime because the process involved some legal procedures.

Bose wanted Tatas to return the land as soon as possible. "What's thepoint in holding on to the leased land if the Tatas are no more interested withthe Singur project," he said.

The government, in a gazette notification issued on July 19, 2006, announcedthat land was needed to be acquired by the government/ government undertakingsfor a public purpose namely employment generation and socio-economicdevelopment of the area by setting up the Tata small-car project. The purposeof employment generation and pushing forward socio-economic development isvalid even after the Tatas’ pullout from Singur.