Tata to return if state turns politically friendly

AGM An emotional Tata says exit from Singur made him sad,his company has no prejudice

AGM An emotional Tata says exit from Singur made him sad,his company has no prejudice

Stating that the Tata Motors forced exit from Singur brought a sense of sadness in him,Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata on Friday said the day when there is friendly environment at the political level,the company could consider returning to the state.

The subject Singur does not bring anger in me but just a sense of sadness that we had to move out. Who knows we might have a Tata Motors factory somewhere in West Bengal someday. There is no friendliness at the political level,but there is friendliness at the people level. The people are always friendly. Only when there is friendliness at the political level,we will think about it, said Tata while replying to shareholders queries at the 49th Annual General Meeting of Tata Global Beverages,held in Kolkata on Friday.

We are an Indian group. We have no bias and prejudice. The group will not walk away from Bengal, he added. The company had to abandon its Nano car plant in Singur in 2008 and move to Gujarat following land acquisition protests against the Left government spearheaded by Trinamool Congress chief and present Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

On the legal tangle involving the returning of the proposed factory land to Singur farmers,he said: We respect the law. We respect the wishes of the West Bengal government.

After coming to power,the Trinamool Congress enacted the Singur Act with an aim to return the land to the unwilling farmers. The Act was challenged in the Calcutta High Court,which termed it unconstitutional. The government then moved the Supreme Court against tIn his last appearance as chairman of Tata Global Beverages formerly Tata Tea,a teary-eyed Ratan Tata said in a choked voice that he enjoyed a great sense of satisfaction with shareholders and the warmth of the people. For six years,I have stayed in Jamshedpur and often visited Kolkata. Because of my affinity to this place,we tried to set up a car-manufacturing facility here, he added.

The event turned out to be an emotional affair with shareholders lining up to bid him farewell Ratan Tatas last AGM as chairperson of Tata Global Beverages.

Story continues below this ad

On Ratan Tatas part,he brushed aside the talk that this could be his last visit to Kolkata. He said: No,I will be back there and sitting where you are sitting.