Thousands of Indians staged loud protests Sunday outside a factory being built to produce the world's cheapest car, forcing a halt to construction work at the site, officials said. A team of Japanese experts helping Tata Motors with the production of the 2,500-dollar Nano car returned home after demonstrators forced work on the factory to be suspended.
Protesters, who have demonstrated against the construction of the plant in West Bengal state for two months, say poor farmers were forcibly evicted to make way for the factory and want 400 acres (160 hectares) of land returned. The government acquired about 1,000 acres for the plant but activists insist only 600 acres are needed.
"The conditions are not conducive for resuming work at the Tata Motors small car factory," said West Bengal state industry minister Nirupam Sen. "Six Japanese experts working in the plant have left because of the uncertainty," he told AFP.
The protests forced a shutdown on Friday, a day after police had to escort hundreds of workers from the factory as angry demonstrators blocked the exit. Last week, Tata chief Ratan Tata warned he would move the plant out of the state if the protests kept up at Singur, on the outskirts of the state capital Kolkata. Tata Motors hopes to start selling the four-door Nano in October.
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