Kolkata, Sept 20 : Despite global economic recession, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee feel India is going to emerge as a major economic player, as he said a balanced policy would help the economy to grow faster and will take care of the grievances of agriculturists.

He said the centre is taking steps to ensure food security, industrialisation and for creating employment opportunities for the unemployed in the country.

Mukherjee was addressing the annual general meeting of the Bengal National Chambers of Commerce and industry.

Kolkata, Sept 19 : Former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu on Friday requested the Singur protesters, who have been refusing to accept the land compensation package offered by the State Government, to accept it and allow resumption of work at the TATA Motors’ Nano car plant.

State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxists) Biman Bose briefed Basu about the party’s state secretariat meeting earlier in the day at the party office.

Kolkata, Sept 17 : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today once again appealed to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to accept the new rehabilitation package to resolve the Singur impasse.

Addressing a press conference in Kolkata on Wednesday''s evening Bhattacharjee also urged the farmers who have not taken the compensation so far to receive the same by Monday. 

The Chief Minister said that the TMC is misinterpreting the agreement, which was signed in the presence of Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi on the issue.

Kolkata, Sept 16 : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that she didn’t want the Tatas to pull out of Singur.

While addressing a rally at Singur, Banerjee said, "I don''t want the Tatas to pull out of Singur, but I am not bothered either. However, the main plant can be set up on 600 acres and the ancillary on 100 acres."

She demanded that the West Bengal Government should honour the ''gentleman''s agreement'' on Singur reached between the government and her party at Raj Bhavan and was chaired by West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

Kolkata, Sept 13 : Communists in West Bengal on Saturday said they would create public awareness in support of the Tata plant project in state''s Singur area.

Tata Motors is facing opposition in the state''s Singur area, about an hour''s drive from Kolkata, from where it is scheduled to roll out world''s cheapest Nano car.

The state ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has asked its cadres to personally talk to the people over phone telling them about the benefits of the plant project.

Kolkata, Sept 13 : Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday blamed the West Bengal Government for the Singur row as it broke the terms of the agreement with her party. 

Banerjee, while alleging that Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhatterjee was taking all the decisions without consulting TMC, said, "West Bengal government doesn''t respect us. It has broken the terms of agreement.”

“We are not ready for any more talks," said Banerjee, and added, “We will announce a final decision on September 19.“ 

Banerjee’s statement came barely hours after Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi called for a "spirit of accommodation" that was evident during the talks he presided over to break the Singur deadlock.