January 9, 2015
WB CM sets time frame for all projects at Bengal Global Summit
There were many positive takeaways from the two-day Bengal Global Business Summit 2015 that drew to a close here on Thursday. While the proposed investment of a mind-boggling Rs 2.43 lakh crore was definitely the high point, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement on land for industry drew the high-fives. Ms Mamata Banerjee thanked Captains of the Industry and her team for making the Summit a grand success.
Another positive outcome of the summit was that investments were not only sought and received for brick-and-mortar industries but for the crucial human resource development sector.
The Chief Minister announced the setting up of many state and private colleges, universities and technical and management institutes to create a pool of skilled manpower for industry and social sectors. She said that 10 lakh unemployed youths would be trained in technical skills within 10 years under the MoUs signed with various skill providers at the summit.
Once the proposed investments start fructifying in two to three years, more than 1 crore jobs would be created in Bengal. Land, Ms Banerjee stressed once more, would not be a problem. She mentioned Bengal’s land bank and said adequate land was available to set up smart cities and urban centres all over the state.
She also invited hospitality players to invest in unexplored tourist destinations in Bengal. The proposed Kolkata-Siliguri corridor could be turned into an industrial corridor and would change the face of Bengal, she felt.
That WB CM means business was evident from her announcement that she would set up a core team of top bureaucrats and Finance Minister Dr Amit Mitra to monitor the implementation of MoUs signed at the summit and pursue the letters of intent received from investors.
An administrative calendar would be chalked out, setting deadlines for implementation of various stages of a project and a time frame for granting clearances and permits for every proposal. The next edition of the summit would be held on January 8 and 9 next year, she announced.
