Tuesday, September 12 2006 11:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Tata Steel yesterday (Sept 11, 2006) denied that it has received the go-ahead from the Iranian Government for setting up a 4 million tonne steel plant at the Persian Gulf Special Zone.

"We have not received any official communication from the Iranian government in this connection," Tata Steel Managing Director B Muthuraman said here.

A private Iranian news agency had earlier quoted the Special Zone Director Bahman Aiyyar Rezaii as saying that the Indian steel giant has been given the go-ahead by Tehran to set up the steel plant at an estimated cost of 2 billion dollars.

Muthuraman said talks were on with the Iranian government to set up the proposed plant, he added.

Earlier the company had signed an agreement with the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation in June last to set up the steel plant.