Kolkata, 25 March (H.S.): West Bengal BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya on Wednesday criticised the ruling Trinamool Congress government over the state’s economic situation, citing official data to question its claims.

In a post on social media platform X, Bhattacharya said government reports themselves reflect the true state of Bengal’s economy. He noted that the number of companies filing returns has increased from around 96,000 to 1.22 lakh over the past five years, indicating that people are keen to do business and grow.

However, he pointed out that in 2021–22, as many as 9,338 companies shut down, while nearly 78,000 firms remain ‘struck off’. He said this is not merely a statistic but reflects broken dreams, lost jobs and stalled entrepreneurial efforts.

The BJP leader alleged that policy instability, the influence of syndicates, lack of security and inadequate transparency are key reasons why industries are struggling to sustain themselves in the state. He added that although the number of profit-making companies is rising, the environment to sustain them remains weak.

Bhattacharya said the youth of Bengal are seeking opportunities while entrepreneurs need a sense of confidence. He stressed that a change in the current situation is the need of the hour and essential for the state’s future.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey