New Delhi: In the view of the ongoing land acquisition problem in Singur, former Orissa chief minister J B Patnaik has demanded the proposed small car-manufacturing unit to be shifted to Gopalpur in Orissa's Ganjam district.
And for this, Patnaik on Sunday asked the Orissa government to mount pressure on the Tata group.
To make his demand stronger, Patnaik said even though the Tatas had acquired more than 3,500 acres of land to set up a steel plant in Gopalpur, the land remained unutilised for more than six years.
''Tatas should keep their promise to set up a steel plant at Gopalpur or utilise the land they have acquired for other industrial use,'' as quoted by PTI, the senior Congress leader said.
Patnaik, who is also the leader of Opposition in Orissa Assembly, said the Tatas were facing stiff opposition from people at Singur in acquiring land while their land at Gopalpur remained unutilised.
''What is the point in acquiring land in the name of industrialisation?'' he said.
Patnaik, at the annual function of the students welfare club of Berhampur University, said Gopalpur had everthing to provide for any big industry.
Opposing Tata group's bid to acquire an SEZ status for the Gopalpur land, Patnaik wondered why the Tata group was interested in developing a SEZ at Gopalpur instead of setting up its own unit.
Claiming that no force had been used to acquire the land at Gopalpur, Patnaik said that the Tatas should realise how the then Congress government, led by him, had taken pains to acquire the land for the purpose.
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