PATIALA:  The Punjab Government has shot off a missive to Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata, inviting him to set up plant in the State to manufacture his ambitious Rs 1-lakh car Nano. 
 

The invitation comes close on the heels of hints of likely pull-out by the Tata Group from Singur in West Bengal if the political opposition to the project continues.
 
"I have written an offer letter to Ratan Tata to formally invite the group to set up the small car plant in Punjab, for which every possible facility will be provided by the State Government,"
 
Punjab Industry Minister Manoranjan Kalia told Punjabnewsline.com here, on Wednesday.
 
An official of the Industries Department has personally gone to Pune, headquarters of Tata Motors, to deliver the formal request of the Punjab Government.
 
A Tata Group delegation will be invited for a formal meeting with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal so that every aspect of the proposed plant could be discussed, Kalia said.
 
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, Kalia said that every aspect of the offer would be discussed at the meeting.
 
"Land would not be a problem once the offer is discussed threadbare. Every issue would be sorted out", Kalia remarked.
 
It may be recalled that 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 Capt Amarinder Singh and his Cabinet colleagues on the prospect of setting up of the project in the State.