The West Bengal government and The Chatterjee Group seem to have arrived at a consensus on how to turn Haldia Petrochemicals (HPL) into a viable enterprise, drawing up a comprehensive plan to sort out the ownership issue.

State industry minister Partha Chatterjee after a meeting a with TCG chief and HPL chairman Purnendu Chatterjee late on Wednesday, said the government wanted to make HPL a profit-making enterprise, for which both TCG and government would have to work together. He said though the government was undecided on whether to retain its holding in the HPL, it will work to create an atmosphere so that HPL turned viable.

?The government has not yet decided whether to retain its holding in HPL or not. But we think the ownership issue should not come in the way of HPL?s turnaround,? Chatterjee said.

Sources say, TCG has already moved The International Court of Law at The Hague challenging the Supreme Court order, which had asked the government to retain its holding in HPL.

Since TCG?s investment had been through 100% FDI route, it comes under purview of international court.

Significantly, on Wednesday, the industry minister had said: ?We want to make HPL a litigation free and profit-making enterprise.? Chatterjee, however, remained non-committal about transferring 155 million government shares to TCG by March this year, which would take up TCG?s holding from present 44% to above 51%. West Bengal government currently holds 44.5% in the company.

Purnendu Chatterjee, before meeting the industry minister, met chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday. Although both, the CM and Chatterjee, did not comment after the meeting, Purnendu Chatterjee on Monday had said that he would stay in Kolkata for 10 days and look forward to sort out critical issues. The TCG was concerned about the government?s purported intent to offer its 675 million shares to Reliance Industries. Sources privy to development said TCG has been able to stop the move for now by dangling the court case.

At the international court, TCG had argued that the Supreme Court had not taken Fali Nariman?s affidavit into consideration in giving its judgment.