Bhattacharjee (right) with Paswan. (Kishor Roychowdhury)

Calcutta, Nov. 5: The strained relations between the promoters of Bengal’s showpiece project, Haldia Petrochemicals, appear to be getting better.

After Purnendu Chatterjee stepped into Writers’ Buildings to wish Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Shubho Bijaya, the chief minister today acknowledged in public The Chatterjee Group chairman’s role in setting up HPL.

“Haldia Petrochemicals, which started as a joint initi- ative by the government and Chatterjee Group, has been a success. Purnendu Chatterjee is here with us (in the audience). It was the first initiative,” Bhattacharjee said at the opening of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research in Calcutta.

Industry observers could not recall another public acknowledgement by the chief minister of Chatterjee’s role as one of the first to bring foreign direct investment to the state.

Over the past two years, the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and TCG have been locked in a legal battle for the control of Bengal’s second-largest and now profit-making company, HPL.

A last-ditch fight is now on in the Supreme Court. However, the whiff of a possible rapprochement wafted in when the chief minister agreed to meet Purnendu on October 24.

Chatterjee told The Telegraph later he was hopeful of an early solution to the stalemate.

Observers said a patch-up was possible if TCG withdrew the case or both agreed to an out-of-court settlement. The last round, in Calcutta High Court, went to the state.

Chemical hub

Bhattacharjee today requested Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, whose chemicals and fertiliser department has to sanction a chemical hub, to consider Nayachar as the new location for Bengal’s petroleum, chemicals and petrochemical investment region.

Paswan, who attended the opening of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education, said his ministry has received a draft proposal from the Bengal government. “Although the land on offer falls short of the amount required for a PCPIR, the proposal is under consideration,” he added.

Around 62,000 acres, or 250sqkm, is required for the hub, but it need not be contiguous. The state intends to add Haldia’s petrochemical industry zone to nearby Nayachar.

Bhattacharjee said more land will be acquired later.

Forty per cent of a chemical hub is needed for industry and the rest for infrastructure like roads and airport.

Paswan today announced the revival of the Durgapur and Haldia fertiliser plants.

The revival plan for IISCO’s Kulti plant will be announced in December.