After Tata Motors? exit, West Bengal is set to experience yet another jolt in the future prospects of industrialisation in the state.
One of the five conditions imposed by the Forward Bloc on Metro Cash & Carry has become the Achilles? heel for the German major to start their business in Kolkata. That Metro can not sell any product worth less than Rs 5,000 may not be suitable for the company to go ahead with its plans for doing business here.
?We could not reach a consensus on the first condition (Metro can not sell any product that is worth less than Rs 5,000) but so far as the remaining four conditions are concerned, they have accepted them. In any case, we will sit again for talks,?? said Naren Chatterjee, chairman, Agricultural Marketing Produce Committee (APMC) at the Writers? Buildings on Monday.
However, the company did not confirm whether they have accepted the conditions. ?Our discussions are going on. We can get back to you only when a decision is taken,?? Vishal Sehgal, head of Metro?s corporate communications, said.
On the other hand, principal secretary to the chief minister Subesh Das sounded optimistic when he told reporters that the state government will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Metro Cash & Carry on October 10.
He was present at the meeting chaired by chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb and attended by a delegation from the German company.
Earlier, the issue of granting licence created a rift between the Left Front partners, CPI(M) and the Forward Bloc. Things became so grave that Forward Bloc had decided to withdraw its ministers from the state cabinet. However, the issue was thrashed out at a meeting of the Left Front and it was decided that the company will be given licence only if they accept some conditions.