The industry heard what it wanted to hear from Mamata Banerjee: a patient ear, strong resolve for action and a complete no-no to bandhs and shutdowns. In her first interaction with the industry as CM, Mamata showed her willingness to meet the business world half way but there was no kowtowing. She fixed her own terms. “We will evolve the Bengal model of development,” she announced, after repeated suggestions that she try out the ‘Gujarat model’. In a first for Bengal, and perhaps for any state, Mamata announced the formation of a 25-member ‘core group’ to sort out problems faced by the industry and work out plans for investment. The panel will have 17 members from various chambers — including three from CII, Ficci and Assocham — apart from state finance minister Amit Mitra, industries minister Partha Chatterjee and six departmental secretaries. It will hold its first meeting on June 24. Mamata was warm and cheerful yet firm, and showed panache in handling awkward questions. “Nearly 25-26 days have gone by since we took over. From now on, I shall monitor the progress of the industries department every week. People often accuse me of hurrying things up. Things don’t happen unless you hurry them up. I am ready to make mistakes and learn from them rather than sit back and spend the next five years doing nothing. The industries minister will have to run around. It is up to you all to make him do that. Don’t worry, he won’t lose weight. He is built this way,” Mamata told the gathering of industrialists at Eastern Railway’s Belvedere Club in Alipore on Saturday. Those present included Adi Godrej, Y C Deveshwar, Sanjeev Goenka and several other industry captains. A green carpet was rolled out for them. Many landed up an hour before the scheduled 4pm start. Some top industrialists had to share seats. The interaction went on for over two hours. Mamata preferred to listen first. “There shouldn’t be any ‘bhashan’. I want to listen to you all. Between 1991 and 2010, the state got 4,700 investment proposals of which only 1,300 were implemented. This is below 27%. Sometimes, we all talk so much that we forget to do things. Let us start this meeting by saying that we are all keen to invest in Bengal. We will set up an NRI cell under the finance department to attract investment from abroad,” she said. The CM did not buckle under pressure from a section of industrialists to review her land policy. “It is better for industry to purchase land directly. Set up small industries on small plots. Go to underdeveloped areas like Jangalmahal. We will set up a cell under the finance department that will offer special packages for those who propose to invest in underdeveloped areas,” she said.
THE PLAN
25-member core group of industry bosses, ministers and bureaucrats to drive investment Industries minister to review all investment proposals every Friday
Single-window clearance to cut down gestation period of projects
Land cell in industry department
Land bank and land map to demarcate land use pattern and suitability
THE PRINCIPLE
Act fast, even if it means making errors
No strikes, shutdowns Protest without closing down factory gates
Utilize land of shut factories
Assess land utilization in SEZs
THE PATH
Special cell under finance dept to oversee power & water supply
NRI cell for investors abroad
Prioritize building roads, airport beef-up
Focus on tier II & III cities for IT hubs
Business collaboration with northeast, Bangladesh
Mamata Banerjee told industry captains she would ensure faster resolution of disputes. “I want industry in industrial zones. We have 49,000 hectares land to offer. Industrialists are delaying some of their projects. At Salboni in West Midnapore, the Jindal project has not yet come up. There are some industries due to be set up in Raghunathpur. Please start work wherever you have planned. We will have to expand the IT sector and extend it to backward districts like Bankura and Purulia. There is huge scope to invest in IT, health and tourism,” the CM said. One of the most important announcements made by Mamata was that bandhs or strikes will no longer be tolerated. She was responding to a question by S K Birla on how work culture can return to Bengal. “Our party has not called any bandh or strike in the last few years. We used to do so earlier but realised later that people do not support this Nothing positive comes of it We will not curb democratic rights but we will not allow anybody to shut down facto ries or establishments and then hold protest meetings out side the gates,” Mamata said. The CM promised to im prove law and order in indus trial belts like Asansol-Durga pur and Howrah. “I have planned a new policing system for industrial areas like Asansol-Durgapur and Howrah. I request industrial ists not to encourage the mafia We shall find out exactly how much land we have in industrial zones and distribute them to those who are interested. We shall also ask the Centre to hand over the Falta SEZ to us as nothing much is happening there. It doesn’t matter whether a property belongs to the Centre or the state. What matters is whether it is being put to proper use,” Mamata said.
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