West Bengal's ruling Left Front was Saturday hopeful of resolving the differences between two of its constituents over renewing the licence of German wholesale major Metro Cash and amp; Carry.

'We are hopeful of finding a solution through a process of dialogue in the Left Front. It's unfortunate that FB (Forward Bloc) has already taken a decision to opt out of the state cabinet if the state government doesn't comply with its demand,' Communist Party of India (CPI) state secretary Manju Kumar Manjumdar told IANS.

He said the issue should be solved through talks within the front.

Majumdar said the ruling coalition has called a meeting Sunday and the matter would be discussed in the presence of all its constituents.

The FB has opposed the decision to renew the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) licence for Metro Cash and amp; Carry.

'The decision to renew the licence for Metro Cash and amp; Carry was neither discussed in the cabinet nor in the LF meeting. The concerned ministry was not consulted either,' senior FB leader and West Bengal State Marketing Board chairperson Naren Chattopadhyay said.

He said Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) took a unilateral decision to renew the licence for the German firm.

'This is unprecedented in the 30-year history of the LF government in West Bengal,' Chattopadhyay said.

FB state general secretary Ashok Ghosh Friday said the party will not allow any big investor or foreign investor to eat up the space of small and poor farmers and the intermediaries.

Forward Bloc leader and state Fire and Emergency Services Minister Pratim Chatterjee said: 'A meeting has already been called by the state LF and I'll share my point of view there tomorrow (Sunday).'

Metro cash and amp; Carry started a project of constructing a 100,000 sq ft outlet with an investment of $30 million in Eastern Metropolitan (EM) Bypass a couple of years ago.

The project got delayed due to land disputes.

The German company already has four stores in India - two in Bangalore, one in Hyderabad and one in Mumbai.

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