Nano pullout 'most unfortunate', say industry lobbies

New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) With Tata Motors formally pulling out of West Bengal, India Inc has described the event as 'most unfortunate'.

According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), 'This is the most unfortunate happening of industrial activities in the 21st century.'

'But the West Bengal government should not be blamed for Tata's exiting West Bengal. The blame lies with a section of a polity and people of West Bengal will have to pay a very serious price for it,' says Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat.

'Despite Tata's pulling out the West Bengal, the chamber holds that its industrial prospects will continue to hold promises,' Rawat said.

Reacting to the Tata group's exit from Singur, the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said it was sad that the land dispute could not be amicably resolved.

'The Tata project could have brought about a major change in the industrial scenario in Bengal', said Amit Mitra, FICCI secretary general.

'This was not a one-off auto project but would have given a boost to a whole host of ancillaries as well,' he added.

'Bengal's tradition of engineering and heavy industry had suffered over time because of lack of fresh investments in these sectors in the state and the gradual closure of many of the old engineering industries,' FICCI said in a statement.

'Unfortunate development, but given the uncertainties of starting production and safety of the staff at the location, it perhaps was the correct decision,' said Dilip Chenoy, director general, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).

'The challenge now is to produce the Nano in a different location in the end term and find the new venue for the long term production,' Chenoy added.