Monday, August 29 2005 18:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has suggested there is nothing wrong in wooing US investors to his state and said Communist Party of India (Marxists) does want foreign direct investment (FDI) even as he received full backing from two senior party colleagues for his stand.

Bhattacharjee told NDTV that former US ambassador to India Frank Wisner met him and discussed investment in the state.

Asked if he felt it contradictory to have US investment to a Marxist-ruled state, Bhattacharjee said, "If US can do business in China, why not in West Bengal"?

To a question if he would find it difficult to convince his party about his stand, the chief minister said, "No, our policy in this regard is very clear. We want FDI, particularly in Greenfield areas and we need technology and also to get more job opportunities for our young people".

"There is no bar on going to any one country. But we have to protect our policy", he said.

On Bhattacharjee's reported call for 100% FDI in a new airport in Kolkata, CPI (M) politburo member and party's West Bengal Secretary Anil Biswas said, "What he has done is in line with the party Congress. So, there is no difference. About 100 percent FDI in a new airport, perhaps he has been misquoted because there is already 49 percent cap on FDI in airport sector". "We are opposing privatization of profit-making airport. But it will be a new airport (Bhattacharjee talked about) maintaining the 49 percent cap certainly," Biswas said.

Another CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury said Bhattacharjee has not said anything during his recent trip to Jakarta which is against the line finalized by the party Congress. "As far as we know, there is nothing in it that is against that has been passed in the party Congress," he said.

However, if there is a need for any clarification, we will do it at the politburo meeting to be held in Delhi early next month, Yechury added.