Bengal Business Conclave: Industrialists scared, many have to pay CBI tax, says Mamata

Stating that there would be no such problems in West Bengal, the Chief Minister urged them to invest in the state and assured complete cooperation from her government as far as ease of doing business in the state is concerned.

“Do business here, where you will get mental peace… I want my farmers, the industrialists and locals to live peacefully… In Bengal, we can assure you that our attitude, hospitality and humanity will help you (in doing business),” she said.

On Wednesday, she had urged the investors to treat West Bengal as their “sweet home”, and said that despite the country’s economy on a downslide, the state’s economy was performing well on several macro-economic parameters like GDP growth, unemployment rate, industry growth and poverty alleviation.

Stressing on her government’s focus on rural and medium and small scale business, the CM on Thursday said that her government would start procuring materials meant for relief aid from weaver’s cooperative society.

“To boost village industries and weavers, our government has decided that relief materials like sarees, bedsheets will henceforth be procured from our own weavers’ cooperative society… that is through Tantuja… This will generate an additional 25 lakh man-days in next three years, benefiting around 25,000 weavers in the state,” the CM said, adding the government is planning to place orders for next three years in advance so that they could plan their work accordingly.

The two-day conclave was attended by delegates from 28 countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, UK, Poland, US, Australia, Thailand, Russia, Italy and China among others. Industrialists like Harsh Neotia, Y K Modi, Rudra Chatterjee, Mayank Jalan, Sanjay Budhia and others are also attending the conclave.

CM lays foundation of apparel hub

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday laid the foundation stone of 11 lakh square feet wholesale apparel hub at Nungi in South 24 Parganas. Finance Minister Amit Mitra said that the hub will employ 16, 000 people. “The government will build the hub so that international buyers can come here to buy our local artisans’ products,” Mitra added.

She also laid the foundation stone for a common facility centre of bell and brass metals cluster in Lalbazar area of Shyamnagar in Bankura district. Another common facility centre will be built for steel foundation cluster at Garbeta in West Midnapore.

Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for a shellac cluster at Jhalda in Purulia district. She also inaugurated two common production centres — one for kantha stitch artisans at Bhedia on East Midnapore, and another for stone-carving artisans at Susunia in Bankura.