Monday, August 29 2005 14:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee today (Aug 29,2005) said that the Left was not adopting double standards on the issue of economic reforms at the central and state levels.

Briefing newsmen here on his just-concluded visit to Indonesia and Singapore, Bhattacharjee said, "Marxism is not a dogma, we have to learn from facts".

The Chief Minister said that no capitalist or socialist Government could allow drainage of exchequer by running loss-making units.

"We have to reform", he said.

Asked about his comment on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail sector, Bhattacharjee said, "I have serious reservations".

The Chief Minister said that he had talos with renowned agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan who viewed that this would create a big problem in the supply-chain between the farmers and retailers.

On issue of allotting farmland to industry, he said a right balance has to be struck between agriculture and industry.

Bhattacharjee declined to comment when asked about Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's threat to launch an agitation against the allotment of land to the Salem group.