Saving Brand Bengal: Left okays German MNC's licence

DEADLOCK RESOLVED: German wholesale Metro Cash & Carry's licence would be issued on October 10.

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Kolkata: West Bengal's Left Front on Sunday approved issuance of license to German wholesale major Metro Cash & Carry from October 10.

Forward Block ministers will resume office from Monday.

Forward Bloc, a key ally of state's ruling Left Front government, on Sunday threatened to pull out its four ministers from the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-ministry if the directive to renew the licence of German wholesale giant Metro Cash & Carry was not withdrawn by September 30.

"The Chief Minister has issued a directive to renew the licence to Metro Cash & Carry without discussing the matter in the Cabinet, the Cabinet core committee, the Left Front and at the proposed bilateral talks between the CPI-M and Forward Bloc. This is unprecedented in the history of the Front," Party State General Secretary Ashok Ghose had said.

"If the directive is not withdrawn by September 30, Forward Bloc will pull out its four cabinet ministers," he said.

"By unilaterally issuing the directive, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has challenged our party. We will not allow foreign capital to enter the state (in the agri-marketting sector)," he said.