Reliance Fresh stays shut in Kolkata

A week after Reliance's first attempt to open its retail outlet""Reliance Fresh---in Kolkata was halted by violent protest by the youth arm of the Left party Forward Bloc, uncertainty looms over its future in the city.

The franchisee in charge of the outlet, Govind Kanoria, admitted he was not sure when would the shop open, even though the interiors were packed with products like fast moving consumer goods, and decorated with red placards of discount offers in every nook and corner.

The 7,400-square feet outlet was abuzz with activity as the newly-appointed staff at the outlet spent their time maintaining the fully-stocked, ready-to-open store.

"We do not know when will the store start functioning. It is up to Reliance and the government to decide upon the operations of the store," said Kanoria.

The store would not have stayed shut had it been selling only FMCG products- it was clear that it could not open because it had failed to secure licences to sell food products or undertake retailing of farm products.

From outside, the shop looked like a fortress, with the Police posted on the premises.

The broken glass front of the building that houses the outlet, and the covered "Reliance Fresh" board outside the shop give little indication of the presence of the large store inside.

"The shop was never inaugurated, and there was absolutely no damage inside the shop. Even though the glasses were broken from outside, the inside was protected," kanoria said.

"The Reliance Fresh board was not ready to be revealed, and but repeated storms tore off the covers and unveiled the board," he added.

This provoked the attack on the shopfront, he feels.

Kanoria declined to comment on the supply chain supporting the outlet, or whether fruits and vegetables would be available at the store.

Reliance's plans to start retail operation in the state through backward integration was at present stuck in difference of opinion between the agriculture, horticulture, land reform and agriculture-marketing departments in West Bengal.

While the food processing department has tagged the six distribution centres proposed by Reliance as food processing units, the land reform department is yet to sanction 600-acre land for the project.

The agriculture and the agri-marketing departments have traditionally opposed Reliance's entry in the state.