Kolkata, 10 June (H.S.): The newly formed BJP government in West Bengal has placed industrial development at the top of its policy agenda, with Industries and Commerce Minister Tapas Roy outlining an ambitious roadmap aimed at reviving investment and restoring the state’s industrial prominence. Roy said the government’s immediate focus would be to attract major corporate houses, including the Tata Group, back to West Bengal.

In an interview on Wednesday, Roy described industrialisation as the key to the state's future and stressed that generating employment opportunities for the youth would be one of the government's foremost responsibilities. He said the administration was committed to addressing the twin challenges of industrial growth and job creation simultaneously.

The minister criticised the industrial policies of the previous Trinamool Congress government, alleging that the sector had been neglected for years. According to Roy, while development projects were showcased, little was done to create a business-friendly environment capable of attracting long-term investment.

He further alleged that growing authoritarianism, appeasement politics and widespread extortion during the previous regime had discouraged investors and forced many businesses to relocate to other states.

Claiming that 6,688 small, medium and large industries had left West Bengal during the Trinamool era, Roy said the BJP government intended to reassure investors that they would no longer face extortion, administrative hurdles or an uncertain business climate.

“Industrialists who left the state must be brought back. The Tata Group should once again be invited to invest in West Bengal. Along with that, attracting major business conglomerates such as the Adani Group and Reliance Industries is among our priorities,” Roy said.

Meanwhile, state BJP president has been holding a series of meetings with business and industry bodies since the formation of the government. During these interactions, industrialists have been encouraged to expand investments in the state.

The BJP leadership has maintained that the new government will improve law and order and create a secure and investment-friendly environment for businesses.

Industry associations have also submitted several recommendations to the government. These include the creation of a dedicated land bank for industries, GPS tagging of available land, infrastructure development in industrial zones, a modern industrial and logistics policy, a single-window clearance mechanism for projects, and stronger skill-development and employment-generation initiatives.

The business community is now closely watching the state budget scheduled to be presented on June 22. Industry observers expect the government’s first budget to contain significant announcements aimed at boosting industrial investment, employment generation and infrastructure development across West Bengal.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh