Metro Cash & Carry buys time to decide on Bengal

KOLKATA: German wholesale giant Metro Cash Carry on Thursday said it would wait for a decision till September 29 on re-issue of the APMC licence after promising discussions with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Agriculture minister Naren Sen in the last two days.

"The company has agreed to honour the request by both the leaders to wait till next Monday to review all options and announce its next course of action," Metro Cash & Carry Managing Director Martin Dlouhi told reporters here.
The company had earlier said it would take a decision on September 26.

Dlouhi said the company would not open the first Kolkata store without the APMC licence which was withdrawn in June 2007 and not renewed since then.

The company gave a first-hand review of the store and about the benefits the state could get like others as well as communist countries like China and Vietnam where the company has operations.

The Forward Bloc, which is opposing entry of organised sector enter into retailing, has called a bilateral meeting with Left Front chairman and CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose to discuss the issue on September 28.
Metro planned to sell 18,000 food and non-food items including liqour and wine.