Bengal to start counselling of Singur land owners

Kolkata, Sep 20 (PTI) West Bengal government wouldstart counselling owners of lands in Singur, mostly farmers,to help them in starting irrigation and produce the first cropby this year-end. According to a senior minister at state Secretariat’Nabanna’, counselling of the farmers would take place onFriday to clear confusions surrounding the irrigability of theland on which the temporary structure of the Tata factory forNano cars was built. "Counselling will start for the farmers this Friday.This is to clear the confusion which grew over whether theland is irrigable or not. We want the farmers to start growingcrops on these lands by December… Our aim is not only torestore the land but also to restore irrigation there," theminister said. The counselling to be done by officers from theagriculture department would also include training the farmersand advising them on what to grow on their lands. In fact, the state government would provide farmersseeds to produce two types of leafy vegetable which could begrown within a month, he said adding that around 56 small tubewells would be set up in the entire area to address the waterissue. A team of agriculture scientists from the IITKharagpur and Kalyani University would visit Singur to reviewthe condition of the land and provide their suggestions, hesaid. Incidentally, farmers would be getting the possessionof lands from tomorrow, he said adding that lands over 700plus farmers were ready to be given possession. PTI SCH SUSAJR