Guv to chair govt-TMC meeting

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Kolkata, Sep 3: In what could lead to a solution to the deadlock over the Tata Motors small-car plant at Singur, West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s office announced Wednesday that he will chair a meeting on Friday to be attended by representatives of the state government and those of Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, whose dharna outside the project site has prompted the Tatas to suspend work.

The Governor’s office clarified that he will be the meeting’s chairperson and will not play the role of a third-party mediator.

“In response to requests from Smt Mamata Banerjee, MP and chairperson of the Trinamool Congress on the one hand and from the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal on the other, the Governor has agreed to chair discussions between a panel from the State Government and one representing Smt Mamata Banerjee,” the Governor’s secretariat said.

On Thursday, the Governor will have a preliminary meeting with representatives from both the government and farmers’ body playing a leading role in the agitation.

At Friday's meeting, Chittatosh Mukherjee, a former chief justice of Bombay High Court, will provide legal advice to the Governor. Justice Mukherjee met the governor on Wednesday.

Representing Mamata at Friday’s meeting will be Partha Chatterjee, leader of the opposition in the assembly, former Trinamool legislator Kalyan Banerjee, Naxalite leader Purnendu Basu, SUCI leader Manik Mukherjee and former land reforms commissioner Debabrata Bandopadhyay. The state’s team will be led by commerce and industries minister Nirupam Sen.

Meanwhile, at her Singur camp, Mamata said that deadlock would be over in two days.

The Governor, who spoke to Ratan Tata yesterday, wrote to him to invite him for tripartite talks. However, he was reported to be upset when a TV channel reported that the Tatas have declined to take part in tripartite talks.

At Writers' Buildings, commerce and industries minister Nirupam Sen said they would request the Tatas to start work after they resolved the issue with the Trinamool Congress.

“We have received no feedback from the Tatas that they were pulling out. However we will have to resolve the issue ourselves first and then we approach the Tatas,” Sen said.