Work had been suspended at the factory from August 29 following a dharna by the Trinamool Congress outside the plant.

The meeting between the two is likely to be held at Writers’ Buildings and the stakes involved for both are high, said senior government officials. The fate of the plant is to be decided in this crucial meet, which would also be attended by Minister for Commerce and Industries Nirupam Sen among others.

Even though the state Government had said elaborate security arrangements would be made once the Tatas resume work, the latter made it clear that they would not run the factory with police protection.

While former India captain Saurav Ganguly has written to Ratan Tata requesting him to resume work at the plant, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi said he was hopeful of a solution to the Singur imbroglio.

“Like the Prime Minister I am also hopeful of a solution for Singur,” the Governor said at Gandhighat in Barrackpur on Thursday.

The state Cabinet last week issued a statement requesting the Tatas not to shift their plant elsewhere. It also requested the Opposition to accept the compensation package announced by the state Government.

The Government had said it is willing to arrange for 70 acres land from within the project area and an additional 50 per cent compensation amount to the affected farmers. However, all came to nothing, with Mamata Banerjee continuing to stick to her demand of returning 300 acres of land from within the project area and 100 acres from outside.

A section of the CPI(M) leadership is also peeved at Tata’s threat to withdraw from the state. “How can they leave after going so far with the project,” asked party MP Hannan Mollah.

“The Government so far had adopted a soft approach while dealing with agitators. The Durgapur Expressway was blocked for 20 days, employees working at the plant had been beaten up. Now the Government will act tough. And that is what the CM will tell the Tatas,” a senior Minister told The Indian Express.