Kolkata:Â Â Ratan Tata has “lost his mind”, West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra has said, rattled by the top industrialist’s comment that he had not noticed any industrial development in the state.
“Maybe he has lost his mind. Maybe he hasn’t got the information. I don’t know why he said this. TCS has told the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) in Mumbai that it would create 20,000 jobs in a new campus. Maybe he hasn’t kept tabs. Tata Metallicks applied to us last week. They want to expand. Doesn’t he know Anil Ambani is investing here? If I give you a list, it will take up all day. Perhaps he should concentrate on his other hobbies like flying planes.” Mitra said.
He was speaking to the media on the side-lines of an industry meet hours after Tata made comments critical of Bengal and his experience in Singur, where a farmers’ agitation backed by then opposition leader Mamata Banerjee forced him to shift out the Tata Nano plant.
Tata, Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group, said his company’s decision to move out the Nano plant in 2008 was a prudent move and described it as the biggest challenge he faced in his career.
Â
“In hindsight, it was a prudent decision given the hostile circumstances in Singur. But that move gave us a high negative cost,” Tata said at an interaction on Wednesday.Â
“You can pull the trigger of the gun or take it away. But the head will not move,” he added, explaining why he shut the Bengal plant.Â
When asked to comment on whether he had noticed any changes in the past few years, the 73-year-old said, “While driving from Rajarhat, it is unbelievable to see new buildings coming up. But it still looks like a countryside, undeveloped. I do not see much signs of industrial development.”
BJP in Bengal used Tata’s comments to target the ruling Trinamool Congress, which took charge in 2011. “Driving by Tata Motors’ abandoned factory at Singur. What a HORRIBLE message about West Bengal was sent out to the country!” said party’s Tathagata Roy.
Â