Fruits being polished minutes before a Reliance Fresh store opens its doors in Hyderabad. (File picture)

Calcutta, April 18: Bengal Fresh could be the state agriculture marketing department’s answer to Reliance Fresh — the chain of fresh-food stores knocking on the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government’s doors.

Mortazza Hossain, the minister in charge, said his department has planned a three-tier “integrated agri-marketing network” and is also thinking of opening its own kiosks to sell fruits and vegetables.

“We are not going to sign an MoU with Reliance Indus- tries on its proposed retail chain. Neither is the government going to give it land to set up shops,” said Hossain, adding that it would have to accept “certain conditions”.

An anchal or block collection and trading centre that integrates 5-10 village haats will be at the base of the Forward Bloc minister’s proposed three-tier network.

District-level regulated markets, which already exist, would form the next tier. Cold storage and processing and packaging units would be developed.

At the top, five central markets would come up in Rajarhat, Kharagpur, Dankuni, Asansol and somewhere in north Bengal — individual and bulk buyers as well as exporters would be able to buy from here, the minister said.

Retail outlets — on the lines of Reliance Fresh — are also on the table. The name suggested: Bengal Fresh.

“There are certain similarities between ours and Reliance’s initial proposal. But the decision to allow them to enter the retail market has to be taken at the political level,’’ Hossain said.

Funds for the network will come from departmental allocation as well as the state’s agriculture marketing board, he added.

Reliance, which had applied for a licence two months ago, sent a legal notice to the state agriculture marketing board recently, asking why it had not been granted.

The board is controlled by the Forward Bloc, which has a stranglehold on the farm products marketing apparatus and is resisting the corporate group’s entry because it fears losing its clout.

Officially, though, it has been citing farmers’ interests as the reason for its opposition.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said there is no reason to deny the licence, but a section of the CPM and its allies want a debate in the Left Front and the cabinet.

Reliance wants permission to buy food crops, vegetables and dairy and poultry products from farmers and sell it to bulk and retail customers.

But a section of the front is opposed to the entry of big private players in the fresh-food retail business.

“Earlier, the chief minister told the cabinet that Reliance or any other big players would not allowed in retail. If he has changed his position, it should be discussed in the front,’’ PWD minister and RSP veteran Kshiti Goswami said.

The Bloc’s Naren Chatter- jee, who is chairman of the marketing board, said: “The CPM, too, is opposed to both FDI and domestic big capital in retail. Any change in this position requires a policy debate in the Front.”

The CPI shared the view.

But CPM state secretariat member Benoy Konar differed. “We are yet to discuss Reliance’s retail proposal in the party. Our central committee wants a total ban on FDI in retail but has asked for controls and regulations on domestic big business in the same market. There is a difference between a ban and control,” he said.