Kolkata, Sep 2 - A political solution was necessary before any decision on the Singur land, the West Bengal government said Wednesday, a day after the Tata Group said it would return the land if it was repaid the money spent to set up the now abandoned car plant.

'A political solution is necessary before taking any decision on the land,' state Industry Minister Nirupam Sen said on the sidelines of a programme here.

Auto major Tata Motors pulled out its small car Nano project from Singur, 40 km from here, last October following an agitation against land acquisition by farmers and the main opposition Trinamool Congress.

Before withdrawing from Singur, Tata Group chairman Ratan N. Tata said the company had pumped in Rs.1,500 crore into the project.

Singur had turned into a battleground since May 2006 after the state's Left Front government announced the project to manufacture the world's least expensive car, priced at Rs.100,000 or $2,200.