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There seems to be an apparent thaw in the relationship between the Tatas and Mamata Banerjee. Events that have unfolded over the past few days indicate this.
With Partha Chatterjee, West Bengal Commerce and Industries Minister and a close aide of Banerjee, attending the inauguration of a Tata Hitachi excavator series here on Friday, the ice seems to be melting.
Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Ltd is a 40:60 joint venture between Tata Motors and Hitachi Construction Machinery.
This incidentally is the first Tata event that Chatterjee (or any of his colleagues in the ruling Trinamool Congress) has attended since taking charge.
Media to blame
“Only media sees things in this way. We have always maintained that we have nothing against any group or industrialist,” Chatterjee said when asked for his reaction.
A few days ago, Chatterjee virtually absolved the Tatas over the land acquisition fiasco in Singur. He squarely blamed the former Left Front for the mess.
The relationship between Mamata and the Tatas had been strained with the latter pulling out its Nano small car project from Singur.
The project finally took off from Sanand in Gujarat.
Known for her mercurial temper, Banerjee had earlier urged her followers to stop using Tata products. “No No to Nano’ was the line taken.
The hostility grew with the Tatas and the West Bengal Government having a legal face-off over the possession of nearly 1,000 acres of land in Singur.
Signs of thaw
The signs of a thaw came with the State Government inviting Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry to its industry meet in Mumbai earlier this year.
Earlier, Partha Chatterjee had also congratulated Mistry when he took over as Chairman last year. “I am happy to attend the event here,” Chatterjee said during the event.
Meanwhile, the industry minister pointed out that the State Government is developing 1,000 acres of land at Goaltore in West Midnapore as a proposed investment destination.
The Government currently has two industrial parks, at Vidyasagar and Panskura, in West Midnapore.
Land has already been acquired and plans are afoot to set up a manufacturing hub in the region.
“We have received a proposal from a foreign company. But I will not reveal the details now,” he said.
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