Chandan Mitra bats for IT park in Singur

Kolkata, March 24 (IANS) BJP's Chandan Mitra Monday suggested setting up an IT Park in Singur, West Bengal contending it was "not feasible" to return land "forcibly" acquired from the farmers.

"An IT park can be set up at (the now-abandoned Tata Motors plant in) Singur instead of giving back the land. Considering the legal intricacies, I don't think it is feasible to give back the land to the farmers," said Mitra, contesting from Hooghly Lok Sabha constituency.

The Rajya Sabha MP said if the BJP came to power at the Centre, it will sit on the discussion table to come up with a solution.

The automobile giant was given 997 acres on lease in 2007 allegedly acquired forcibly by the Left Front government but some "unwilling farmers" refused the compensation and took to agitation.

The volatile peasant movement led by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee forced the automaker to relocate to Gujarat.

After coming to power, the Banerjee government enacted a legislation for returning "forcibly" acquired land but it has been challenged in courts. The matter is now pending before the Supreme Court.

Mitra also suggested setting up similar parks at other sites that have been acquired for setting up industrial units but are lying idle.

The journalist-turned-politician also hoped the BJP would throw a few surprises in Bengal in the Lok Sabha poll riding on "a wave" surrounding its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

"BJP managed to get two Lok Sabha seats in 1998 by aligning with the Trinamool. But it could not create a wave in Bengal. This time, we are fighting on our own to provide an alternative to the Trinamool and the Left Front," he said.