Singur (West Bengal), Sept 22: Tata Motors has given jobs to 17 youths whose families had given up their farmland for a proposed car factory at Singur.
These 17 men have joined a training programme sponsored by Tata Motors and the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC).

"We took training in a sponsored program by Tata Motors and the WBIDC. After that, we sat for a test and got through. We have got our training in Jamshedpur. We are now joining as trainees," said Somen Ray, one of the recruits.

Himangshu Shekhar Barui, another recruit added, "We were recruited by Tata Motors. We will be going to Jamshedpur and Pune for special training."

Tata Motors started to build its factory in Singur in January 2007 to make the world's cheapest car at 100,000 rupees.

There have been regular protests in West Bengal since then over the acquisition of agriculture land for industry.

The opposition Trinamool Congress is at the forefront of a campaign to provide better compensation to farmers whose lands have been acquired by the State Government for the project.

The State Government says that it has compensated most of the affected farmers.

The proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) has since been scrapped by the State Government, and they are looking for alternative land. (With Inputs from ANI)