Buddhadeb welcomes governor's initiative

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said he welcomed the initiative taken by Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi on the Singur impasse and said that efforts were also being made to hold an all party meeting. ''I have told the Governor that I support the contents of his letter (to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee). I thanked him for his initiative and informed him that I was also trying to bring them (Trinamool Congress) for discussions,'' the chief minister said.

Bhattacharjee told a press conference that earlier in the day he had a discussion with the Governor about the letter Gandhi sent to TC chief suggesting that she holds talks on the Singur issue with a neutral mediator.

''Efforts are also being made to hold an all-party meeting. I have discussed the matter with (WBPCC president) Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi and (CLP leader) Manas Bhuinya about this,'' he said.

The ruling Left Front, at a meeting yesterday, had discussed the possibility of holding an all-party meeting to end the impasse as the indefinite dharna by Trinamool Congress-led Krishijomi Jiban Jibika Raksha Committee entered the ninth day today.

The government had convened an all-party meeting about a couple of months ago but it was boycotted by the TC.

In reply to a question, the chief minister said he had not discussed about the all-party meeting this time with Trinamool Congress.

Leader of the Opposition and senior TC leader Partha Chatterjee, also met the governor for the second day today.