Kolkata: Tata Motors' officials yesterday (Dec12, 2006) discussed technical issues related to the construction of its small car plant at Singur with the West Bengal government today as Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said land for the project would be handed over on schedule.

The officials visited the state electricity board and the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority to discuss issues like power and water supplies needed for the plant, Industry and Commerce Secretary Sabyasachi Sen told sources.

"The discussions were purely technical in nature," he said.

Earlier, Bhattacharjee said land would be handed over to Tata Motors on schedule. He said the company's officials were here and would not have to be "called" for the handover.

"We do not have to call them. They are here. Work is on," he told reporters when he was asked when he would call Tata Motors' officials to hand over the land.

Tata Motors managing director Ravi Kant had said in Delhi on Sunday that the Singur factory was a "dream project" of company chairman Ratan Tata and the firm was determined to proceed with it as planned.

Noting that the firm was prepared to begin production of the small car costing Rs one lakh, Kant said Tata Motors had networked with global firms for technology as part of its pre-production exercise, and also firmed up plans for vendors at the Singur site.

,