Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at the SFI rally in Calcutta on Saturday. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Calcutta, Sept. 27: The German consul-general in Calcutta, who had warned of dire consequences if Metro Cash & Carry were denied a licence in Bengal, today praised Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s move to resolve the matter despite opposition from Left Front partner Forward Bloc.

“The chief minister was in favour of the project. He wanted Metro to work. He kept his word,” Gunter Wehrmann told The Telegraph this evening, adding that Bhattacharjee had clearly shown leadership.

Yesterday, the chief minister had used his discretionary powers to bypass the Bloc and order an agri-marketing committee to issue the licence to the German wholesaler by September 30.

“Business needs confidence and continuity. If there is no confidence or no continuity, there is no business. This move clearly showed how important the issue is,” Wehrmann said. He added that Bengal’s credibility would now rise in the eyes of foreign investors, including German companies.

Metro had come to Bengal after the Bloc-run agri-marketing board had agreed to grant it a licence. The licence, issued in 2005 and renewed twice, was cancelled in June 2007 amid the row over Reliance’s foray into retail.

Wehrmann had said on Thursday: “If Metro Cash & Carry does not get the required licence, this will be the death knell for any future German investment here in the eastern region.”

Will Bhattacharjee’s move help attract German investment now? “Well, it’s not that a delegation is coming tomorrow,” Wehrmann said today.

German companies will also look at what happens to Tata Motors in Singur and the bandh culture, he said. More important, Metro has to actually get the licence and launch its EM Bypass store.

“It must be allowed to operate freely. You do not do business behind guns,” Wehrmann said. Bloc supporters had vandalised a Reliance Fresh outlet last year.

“German observers want to see a thriving store where customers and suppliers are happy. Metro has plans to open more stores…. If Metro is successful, it will do so,” he said.

Although the last word is yet to be spoken on Metro in Bengal, Wehrmann agreed that yesterday’s development was promising. “This is just what was needed now. Bhattacharjee did the right thing.”

Wehrmann said Bhattacharjee and industries minister Nirupam Sen “understood how small and medium (German) companies wanting to invest here will look at Metro. If such a big company fails, they will go elsewhere.”

So, did he call up Bhattacharjee this morning, or write him a letter?

“No, no. When I see him next time, I will flash a big smile,” Wehrmann said.