Thaindian News

Kolkata, June 18 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday formed a 23-member core group comprising representatives of chambers of commerce, ministers and bureaucrats to decide various issues related to industrialisation in the state.

The committee, formed by the chief minister spontaneously during an interaction with entrepreneurs - big and small - and public sector unit heads, would include one representative each from Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Associated Chambers of Commerce (Assocham) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and 14 other chambers of commerce in the state.

Banerjee, Finance Minister Amit Mitra and Commerce and Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee, besides the secretaries of industry, power and information technology would also be part of the core group which would meet every 15 days.

“This core committee will sort out the problems related to industrialisation. They will decide on the future of industrialisation,” Banerjee said at the two-hour interaction, her first after taking over as chief minister last month.

She asked the chambers to send the names of their representatives to the industry minister.

Banerjee said she would sit with Mitra and Chatterjee very Friday to take stock of the pending proposals. “If the proposals are ok, we will have to clear them by Saturday.”

The government was also contemplating air connectivity for cities like Panagarh, Cooch Behar, Balurghat, Malda in North Bengal, Tagore’s Santiniketan in Bolpur of Birbhuim district and the sea resort of Digha in East Midnapore, she said.

To a query from an industrialist, Banerjee said her government would not follow the Gujarat model of industrialisation.

“Gujarat is Gujarat, Bengal is Bengal. In Bengal, there was no regime change for over three decades. But in Gujarat during this time different parties have been in the government. So there was competition there.”

Banerjee said the governments of Japan and the US have invited business delegations from West Bengal. “A delegation from Japan will also come to the city in October.”

After opening a cell for NRI entrepreneurs, Banerjee Saturday announced a cell under the state finance ministry for speedy approval of projects submitted by domestic investors.

“This will ensure investors do not have to go knocking from door to door,” she said.

Banerjee also assured the investors that the government would rationalise the tax structure and said wherever industry is closed, her regime will talk to the workers and try to formulate a package for them. “We will take some concrete decisions. Then wherever land is available you can set up new industries.”

She said e-governance will be started soon and a data bank set up for monitoring project proposals and its implementation.

Mitra said the government had plans for a tiger safari in the Sunderbans delta.

He said the government would also formulate a five-year strategy for economic development.