The venue this time, however, was not a political gathering, but a congregation of the region’s well-known corporates at the 152nd annual general meeting of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, that took place on Tuesday morning.

Bhattacharjee said that the continued agitation and hunger strike by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee was sending a wrong message outside the state. “It has already sent the wrong message,” he said, adding, “I want consensus. I am trying my best to bring consensus.”

Expressing his dissatisfaction at the Opposition’s stand, the Chief Minister posed the question, “how a government could run well with such an irresponsible Opposition?”

Bhattacharjee said that after he was re-elected to office, Ratan Tata had asked him if it was possible to shift the venue for the project closer to Kolkata. “How could have I said no... the project would have shifted out of Bengal. I persuaded Ratan Tata to come,” said Bhattacharjee.

The Chief Minister claimed that he had held a meeting with the leader of the Opposition before the Singur project was taken up. He said that the project was finalised in consultation with the leader of the Opposition.

Pointing out that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister V P Singh and others have also appealed to Mamata to end her hunger strike, the Chief Minister said: “Even I have sent her two letters,” adding that he was ready to discuss “anything under the sun”.

Addressing the corporates, Bhattacharjee assured that the government favoured industrial growth, however, not one without a clear policy. The Chief Minister also spoke about the various projects that are underway in the State.

Meanwhile, the government today announced that the signing of the lease agreement between the Tatas and the West Bengal Industrial Development Coporation would take place in January. “The government will sign the necessary papers with the Tatas in January next year,’’ said Sabyasachi Sen, Principal Secretary, Department of commerce and industries.