Punjab to invite Tatas for Nano plant

The Punjab government has decided to invite Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata to set up a plant in the state to manufacture Nano. The invitation comes on the back of Tata’s threat to pull out of West Bengal if the political opposition to the project continues.

“I will soon write an offer letter to Tata to formally invite the group to install the small car’s plant in Punjab, for which every possible facility will be provided by the state government,” Punjab Industry Minister Manoranjan Kalia told reporters here on Sunday.

A Tata Group delegation will be invited for a formal meeting with the chief minister so that every aspect of the proposed plant can be discussed, he said.

He added that the Tata plant would also enable other ancillary units to set up shop in the state. Asked whether the state government would offer any land for the Nano plant, the minister said every aspect of the offer would be discussed at the meeting.

Land would not be a problem once the offer was discussed threadbare. Every issue would be sorted out, Kalia said. Before zeroing in on Singur in West Bengal for the Nano plant, Tata Motors had explored investment options in Punjab.

In March 2007, Ratan Tata had also held a meeting with former chief minister Amarinder Singh and his Cabinet colleagues on the prospect of setting up the project there.

PTI adds: The Himachal Pradesh government today made its intentions official by inviting Tata Motors to the hill state, dwelling upon its “special category status”.

Rajasthan today followed Uttarakhand, Himachal, Maharashtra, Punjab and other states in extending a warm welcome to Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata to set up the Nano plant.