Ratan Tata and Bihar came face to face after 30 years and the discovery "has been a most pleasant surprise." |
In Patna as part of the Investment Commission which is to give its report to the finance ministry, Tata made no specific announcements but said he was deeply impressed by the policy architecture set up by the Nitish Kumar government, its clarity and its goals, and said the commission was committed to assisting the state government in getting industry to put its money in Bihar. |
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"In infrastructure, agriculture, education, health and urban development, the government spelt out clear cut goals. We have been very impressed. Bihar needs to have its place along with other developed states in the country," Tata said. |
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However, he said the programmes needed monitoring and evaluation and the government would have to heed this aspect. |
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On its part, the Bihar government left no stone unturned to make presentations on a variety of subjects - health, transport, power and roads. Efforts were also made to get Tata Sons interested in agro-processing, leather, higher education and tourism. Tata, however, made no commitments. |
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"It is too early. We need to give the government time to roll out its policies and assess the fruits of the changes it is seeking to bring," he said. "I will get back to Mumbai, sit with the officers and consider how to plan, market and develop investment plans," he said. |
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Bihar government sources said he did hint at the group's involvement in the tourism, airports and agro-processing sectors. |
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Tata seemed to be so enthusiastic about the pleasant surprise his Patna visit was, he actually broke into heavily accented Mumbai Hindi when answering questions. |
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He recalled with a smile that his last visit to Patna was 30 years ago when he came to Jamshedpur to fight a case filed against him, by an employee he had dismissed from the flying school in the town. "I won the case but I haven't been to Patna since," he said. |
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He said he had plans to retire, but added he wanted to do so while he was still able to walk and enjoy his retirement. |
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