Tata hits back at Bengal minister for calling him ’delusional’

 

New Delhi, 07 Aug 2014 (PTI): Leading industrialist Ratan Tata on Thursday hit back at West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra for remarks that he was suffering from "delusion" and said his anger was needless.

 

Reacting to Mitra’s remarks, Tata said he never spoke of industrial development in West Bengal but only made some remarks on Wednesday on the basis of what he saw on his drive from airport to the city via Rajarhat.

 

 

"My comments yesterday referred to my drive from the airport to the Maurya via Rajarhat. I saw lots of residential and commercial development but not much industrial development," the industrialist said on Twitter.

 

He added: "I made no comment about the industrial development in the state. Mr Mitra’s comments are therefore surprising."

 

Showing displeasure over the remarks of the minister, Tata said: "Mr Mitra might believe that I have ’lost my mind’. I would be delighted if he could show me what industrial development projects I missed while driving through Rajarhat. If he cannot, then I would have to conclude that he has a very fertile imagination."

 

Mitra had earlier in the day countered Tata’s remarks on lack of industrialization in the state, saying he may be suffering from delusion and that was why he made such comments.

 

"Tata is getting old and suffering from delusion. I do not know why he cannot understand about what is happening," Mitra told reporters on the sidelines of a CII seminar in Kolkata.

 

Chairman emeritus of Tata Sons Ratan Tata remarked on Wednesday "there are no signs of industrial development in West Bengal" at an interactive session organised by Ladies Study Group of Indian Chamber of Commerce.

 

Mitra said that Tata group firm TCS was creating additional 20,000 jobs here, while Anil Ambani group, Emami were both setting up cement plants in the state.

 

"Recently, another Tata group firm Tata Metaliks had written to the state seeking expansion of their existing unit," he said.

 

"Is he not update with the information and why is his own office not briefing him correctly," Mitra said.

 

"He has the hobby of flying planes and let him fly," he said.

 

Ratan Tata’s views on industrialization in West Bengal came in for criticism by another state minister who said the government did not need a certificate from the industrialist.

 

"We do not need Tata’s certificate on the industrial progress of West Bengal," state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said.

 

Hakim said the state was surging ahead and would continue to make progress in future as well.

 

"We were not against the Tatas. We were against the manner in which land was acquired for the Nano small car project," Hakim told reporters.

 

Tatas had to abandon the Nano project at Singur in the state and shift it to Sanand in Gujarat in 2008 following stiff resistance from the then Opposition party Trinamool Congress headed by Mamata Banerjee.