Even as speculations are rife about the Tatas evincing a keen interest in relocating the prestigious Nano car project to Gujarat, the Narendra Modi government is learnt to have mounted concerted efforts to bring the small car project to the state.

Sources in the Sachivalaya said on Saturday that since the day Ratan Tata announced his decision of reversing the car project from Singur in West Bengal, Modi had been showing a keen interest in Nano’s next destination. “The CM has directed senior officials of the state Industries Department, particularly its Principal Secretary Gauri Kumar, to establish a direct contact with senior executives of Tata Motors and convince them about the positives of the industries-friendly Gujarat,” a senior official told Newsline on Saturday. In fact, Gauri Kumar is learnt to have met some top Tata Motors executives last week in this connection. However, senior state government officials as well as ministers concerned are tightlipped about the Nano’s possible entry into Gujarat. “We don’t want to reveal anything at this stage, otherwise there are chances of our efforts getting sabotaged,” said the official.

She said teams from Tata had been surveying different areas of Gujarat including Abdasa and Mundra in Kutch and Sanand talukas in Ahmedabad to find a suitable site for the Nano project. When contacted over the phone on Saturday, Kutch District Collector R R Varsani said, “Tata teams have already visited various parts of the border district. But it’s difficult for me to say anything about the relocation at this stage.” Parrying a question if her department had offered over 1,000 acres of land to the Tata Motors at Chharodi and Charal villages in Sanand taluka for the Nano project, state Revenue Minister Anandiben Patel said, “A proper person (read Modi) will make an announcement about the Nano project at the right time.”