"No Essar Oil official was held hostage by villagers as reported by a section of media. It was simply a pending case regarding non-payment of compensation to four families which the Essar Oil authority has to resolve through negotiation with the villagers," Chatterjee claimed.
Chatterjee said that the gherao of the company officials and demonstration by the villagers demanding compensation for their land was an issue pending since 2008, when Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was the chief minister.
Essar Oil project director Apurba Ranjan and resident director M N Guha Roy today met Chatterjee after discussing the issue with state Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra and Home Secretary Basudeb Banerjee.
The minister said that the company officials had reported the incident to the district administration and the police and sought a police picket in the area to avoid disturbances.
District Magistrate of Burdwan and SDO at the Kanksa area had discussion with the Essar Oil authority, the minister said.
"I have advised the Essar Oil officials to talk to the villagers and resolve dispute by paying compensation to four families," he said, adding top officials of the company had held a meeting on the issue with the state chief secretary and home secretary last week too. (MORE)