The following is the text of the statement issued by the West Bengal Governor’s secretariat on Wednesday
In response to requests from Smt. Mamata Banerjee, MP and Chairperson of the Trinamool Congress of the Trinamool Congress on the one hand and from the Hon'ble chief minister of West Bengal on the other, the Governor has agreed to chair discussions between a panel from the state government and one repreenting Smt Mamata Banerjee.
The Governor has accepted the requests to do so consistently with his view that the stalemate over Singur is exacting social costs of a high magnitude, apart from the investment costs and the implications on the polity.
The Governor's role will not be that of a third party mediator but that of the meeting's chairperson. He sincerely hopes that the discussions will be marked by a spirit of accommodation and goodwill. He envisages this exercise as one that will result in a sense of shared, not one sided, achievement.
During this period it is essential that all sides try to maintain and encourage calm in the Singur area and take steps to build mutual confidence that is essential for the discussions to take place and succeed.
The meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on Friday 5 September at the Council Chamber, Raj Bhavan. Justice Chittatosh Mukherji, former Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and former Acting Governor of Maharashtra, has kindly agreed to advise the Governor during the course of the discussions on legal aspects.
The Governor will have preliminary discussions with those concerned on Thursday 4 September.