Calcutta, Jan. 1: The Forward Bloc, which has vehemently opposed the entry of big companies in retail, today showed interest in the chief minister’s “formula” for their “controlled entry”.

Party veteran Ashok Ghosh said: “We are sticking to our position. But we don’t mind discussing the control mechanism that the chief minister is planning for the domestic big players in retail. Any decision must be based on consensus.”

He pointed out differences even within the CPM on retail. “What the chief minister or his party is saying isn’t the Left Front’s stand. Even the CPM’s frontal organisations, like the co-ordination committee or the Citu supporters in the agriculture marketing board, are opposing the entry of big capital in retail.”

The chief minister told a Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry meeting on Friday that Indian retail giants “must be” allowed to do business in Bengal as their “modern market mechanism” was essential for the benefit of Bengal farmers.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, however, wanted to give the green signal “very cautiously and slowly” as many could lose jobs” with the entry of the big retailers.

The CPM is opposed to foreign direct investment in retail but unlike its allies in the front, it has not called for a blanket ban.

The government recently amended the panchayat law empowering zilla parishads to construct and maintain markets or shopping complexes for farm products in districts. The move was apparently aimed at pre-empting the Bloc-run agriculture marketing board’s resistance to Reliance and other companies.