Hooghly, 11 June (H.S.): West Bengal Minister of State for Public Health Engineering and Labour, Bhaskar Bhattacharya, has said that he will make every effort to live up to the trust reposed in him by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. He emphasized that his departments carry significant responsibility and that public welfare projects will be implemented on a priority basis.

In an exclusive interaction with Hindusthan Samachar, Bhattacharya said that the Public Health Engineering Department oversees several crucial sectors, including drinking water supply, sewerage management, disaster management, and other public-oriented development schemes. He noted that substantial funds had been spent on various projects over the years, but the desired results were not visible in many cases.

“A large amount of money has been spent on several projects, but the work is not evident on the ground. Such cases will be thoroughly reviewed and investigated. We have already held discussions with departmental officials and reviewed pending and incomplete projects. From now on, every project must be completed within a fixed timeframe,” the minister said.

Bhattacharya further stated that accountability would be ensured at every level of the department. He added that if necessary, he would personally visit project sites and conduct surprise inspections to monitor progress and quality of work.

Speaking about the Labour Department, the minister said that the state's labour laws are balanced, transparent, and designed to protect the interests of all stakeholders. He stressed that the government is committed to safeguarding both industrial growth and workers’ welfare.

“Our objective is to bring industrialists and labour representatives to the same table and work towards resolving their issues through dialogue. Industrial development and workers’ welfare are complementary to each other, and we will move forward while maintaining a balance between the two,” he said.

Expressing confidence about the revival of the jute industry, Bhattacharya said that continuous efforts are being made to reopen closed jute mills across the state. He informed that several rounds of discussions have already taken place on the issue and that Cabinet Minister Arjun Singh had also recently discussed the matter.

“The government is serious about restarting the jute mills. All mill owners will soon be invited for a comprehensive meeting. We are confident that the existing issues can be resolved amicably through dialogue, while ensuring that the interests of workers are fully protected,” he said.

The minister added that the government’s broader goal is to accelerate industrial activity in the state, create employment opportunities, and provide workers with a safe and dignified working environment.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey