Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, contacted by The Financial Express on Tuesday, said that he had not received any feedback from the Prime Minister's Office since June 15, when he had met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi to press the case for a Centre takeover.

West Bengal finance minister Asim Dasgupta had then said that Vajpayee had promised a decision to Basu in seven days. The state wants to run the unit, but only the Centre can take it over under the law. The Chief Minister, asked to comment on Dunlop's campaign in a section of the media to the effect that he had refused appointments to the company's top brass, retorted: "It's a lie."

On Friday, Dunlop reportedly said that it had written to the Prime Minister seeking his intervention against the state's "unfavourable industrial policy" and "biased"stand.

Earlier, PTI, speaking to Basu on the appointments' issue, had quoted the Chief Minister as saying: "I talk to both my friends and enemies."Basu told The Financial Express that the state's plan to get the factory going again did not include Dunlop's promoters because of their record. On February 8 last year, Dunlop declared suspension of work at the Sahagunj factory near Calcutta, which employs over 4,500 workers and was a driver of Hooghly district's economy. "Why don't you understand, banks will not deal with them," Basu said, referring to Dunlop's MR Chhabria-controlled management.

In a series of letters written by Basu to Union ministers starting January 12 last year, Basu has been highlighting that the promoters' track record is unlikely to enthuse banks.

In the most recent letter to the Prime Minister, dated June 8, Basu had written: "The management of DIL controlled by Shri ML (sic) Chhabria has been working as a plan to revive the Company on a scheme prepared by themselves. But, it isquite obvious that considering their track record the financial institutions, banks and workers are reluctant to extend support to the Management for implementation of their revival scheme."

In an earlier letter, dated March 17, Basu had said: "The banks/ financial institutions, unions and the State Government have little confidence in the existing promoters." The letters contradict Dunlop's reported statement that only the management is interested in re-opening the closed unit.

In the March 17 letter, Basu had written: "I would, therefore, strongly urge that the situation of Dunlop India Ltd should not be allowed to aggravate further and steps may be taken immediately to invoke provisions of the IDR Act [Industries (Development & Regulation) Act] for taking over the management of the Company to ensure its functioning according to law and to urgently address the problems facing the Company."

No stay on AAIFR order

Justice AN Ray of the Calcutta high court on Tuesday refused to stay the lastorder passed by the Appellate Authority for Financial & Industrial Reconstruction on March 12 this year in the case of Dunlop India Ltd. The company had filed an appealed against the order before the Calcutta high court in early May, while also praying for amendment before the AAIFR.

The appellate authority refused to amend its earlier order at a hearing on May 18. Meanwhile, the company's appeal, which came up before the Calcutta high court, will again be heard on July 5.