Controversy over the production of Tata 'NANO'- The Word's Cheapest Car

Tata offered alternative site for Nano plant
By Joe Leahy in Mumbai: September 19 2008

Tata Motors of India has received one of its strongest offers yet to move its controversial plant to make the world's cheapest car, the Nano, from West Bengal.

The offer from southern Karnataka state for a 1,000-acre plot comes ahead of an important moment today in the stand-off in West Bengal, with the opposition party that is protesting against the project set to meet the state governor.

"We are watching the situation and actively looking at alternatives," said Ravi Kant, Tata Motors managing director, after a meeting with BS Yediyurappa, the Karnataka chief minister who is based in Bangalore, the state capital.

At least 13 rival state governments have flocked to Tata with offers of land for the embattled Nano project after the group was forced to suspend work at its partially built plant in Singur, near Calcutta.(Well, as they say, one man's loss is another man's gain.. while West Bengal loses, it still remains to be seen who will get the much coveted investment..)

The opposition Trinamool Congress wants the Tata group to return part of the 1,000-acre factory site it says was forcibly taken from farmers by West Bengal's state government to make way for the plant. [read whole article]

Related article - Tata seeking new sites for Nano

See Tata 'NANO'- The People's Car (aka 'The World's Cheapest Car at $2500); Exclusive look at the Tata Nano (with video)