Kolkata, 17 December (H.S.) :
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday alleged that West Bengal has been witnessing steady deindustrialisation ever since the Trinamool Congress came to power in the state, claiming that the exodus of major industries has severely affected employment opportunities and the state’s industrial future.
Highlighting the issue, the state BJP released a booklet titled West Bengal: Industrialisation Graveyard, arguing that the urgent need of the hour is the establishment of large industries to generate sustainable and dignified employment for the youth.
State BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya alleged that several major industrial houses have left West Bengal over the years. He said the developments at Singur and Nandigram sent a negative message to industrialists across the country, discouraging investment in the state. According to him, large-scale industries are the only viable path to reviving industrial growth, and farmers whose land is acquired should be given ownership stakes in the industries set up on their land.
Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, also targeted the Bengal Global Business Summit held in Kolkata. He claimed that all the summits organised since 2015 have failed to deliver real investments on the ground. Adhikari alleged that the expenditure incurred on these events far exceeded any tangible benefits for the state.
He further claimed that West Bengal’s internal debt has reached alarming levels and said that attracting large industries is the only way to improve the state’s economic condition. Adhikari added that whatever major investments have taken place in recent years have largely come from central government undertakings, including projects related to airports, railways, ports, roads and the petroleum sector.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government is set to hold a business conclave in Kolkata on December 18, aimed at showcasing the state’s industrial progress and investment potential.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
