Govt Offers Reliance shield

The Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government today assured Reliance Retail that it would provide protection to the company’s properties.

“We shall give protection to Reliance’s properties to prevent them from being vandalised,” chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb said at Writers’ Buildings.

The chief secretary’s assurance came in response to the company’s decision to put on hold its retail foray in the state in the wake of vandalism by some parties, including Left Front partner Forward Bloc.

Deb said the government would “pursue” the first information reports lodged against those involved in the attacks on two upcoming Reliance outlets. “The government will do whatever is required under the law to stop vandalism on Reliance properties,” he added.

Kalyan Sarangi, Reliance Retail’s regional head, had approached officials in the chief minister’s secretariat yesterday and informed them that the retail Bengal rollout was being deferred.

The company was planning to open six Reliance Fresh outlets in and around the city by mid-August and increase the number to 50 in the near future.