Tag: Dr Amit Mitra

West Bengal has embarked upon smart public administration: Dr Amit Mitra

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on West Bengal has embarked upon smart public administration: Dr Amit Mitra

West Bengal has embarked upon smart public administration which is crucial for industrial competitiveness, state Finance Minister Dr Amit Mitra said in Delhi.

This would cut through time consuming, resource-draining procedures to spur the state’s economic growth, he said.

The Minister is on a visit to the country’s capital to promote the forthcoming Bengal Global Business Summit 2016 scheduled to be held between January 8-9 next year in Kolkata.

Dr Mitra said the most effective change in his state has been the digitisation of services where new and old businesses are required to submit data less frequently, and services can be provided more efficiently and more securely for everyone.

The pricing policy of land in industrial parks is also provided online apart from the disbursement of incentives which has resulted in a more transparent system.

A new web portal has also been put in place that allows entrepreneurs to post their business proposals on it after which the person is connected to investors and professional experts or mentors.

While simplification in the process of issuing trade licences has already been implemented, necessary amendments in the state’s labour laws are underway.

He said West Bengal is strategic in terms of its geography, as it is the only gateway to north-east India by land or waterway, and is also the largest vegetable and fish producer in India. It is among the largest producers of rice, fruits and tea.

At a roadshow, which was the precursor to the promotional event, organised jointly by the State Government and industry body FICCI, the Minister said that apart from the low cost of doing business in West Bengal, the state was also the leader in drawing investments in the micro, small and medium industries in the country during 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Under an agreement with IIM Calcutta, 400 departmental officers are being trained to change the business environment in the state.

During the first quarter of 2014-15, the state’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 8.9 percent in comparison to the 5.7 percent growth nationally. The industrial sector also rose by 6.28 percent in comparison to 4.2 percent at the national level.

A musical museum to come up soon in Bengal

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on A musical museum to come up soon in Bengal

One of Asia’s biggest museums on musical instruments will soon come up in Bengal. Mamata Banerjee and her delegation have tied up with Britain’s iconic Horniman Museum to set up a museum of musical instruments in Bengal.

Horniman has the world’s most exhaustive collection of instruments from across the world. It houses over 8,000 objects made to produce sound.

The oldest is a pair of bone clappers in the form of human hands made in Egypt around 3,500 years ago. Electric guitars and synthesizers are among the most recently acquired.

Bengal Finance Minister Dr Amit Mitra said on Wednesday they “discussed the plan to set up a musical instrument in Kolkata. This museum will house a large collection of musical instruments from Bengal. The state’s efforts to pre serve folk art and its musical instruments in Bengal were shared with the museum. The musical instruments gallery at Biswa Bangla Haat in Rajarhat could be the starting point of this collaboration.”

 

Image: Horniman Museum in London (source)

Bengal growth story not highlighted on national scale: Amit Mitra

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Bengal growth story not highlighted on national scale: Amit Mitra

Interview of Dr Amit Mitra, Hon’ble Industries & Finance Minister, West Bengal

Q: Is Bengal suffering from a perception issue?

Dr Mitra: Bengal’s reality has changed a lot. It is not being shown on national scale. Bengal’s GDP is growing at 10%. The state is surging ahead in every field, be it agriculture, services or industry. Our slogan is “Come to Bengal, Ride the growth”.

 

Q: Is WB Govt suffering from communication issue?

Dr Mitra: Media channels are the main source of communication. Some local media channels do not want to show the Bengal growth story.

 

Q: What is the sales pitch of Bengal in UK?

Dr Mitra: We will highlight all the macroeconomic parameters. Investment proposals worth Rs 84000 crore are already underway. If you take our statistics that I have submitted in the State Legislative Assembly, there will be a lot of heads turning.

Changi airport and SAIL are taking up projects which will not only help in infrastructure but also generate employment. We have land in 38 industrial parks. 4500 acres of land are ready for industries. All departments together have 100000 acres of land which can be put to judicious use.

We have an analytics park coming up at Kalyani. AIIMS-like hospital and several universities in the pipeline too. All this is coming up on government land. We have cleared 7500 acres of private land which is vested and already in the market. The largest technology park of the Central Govt is coming up in Kolkata.

Five tea estates belonging to State Government, which were lying closed for a long time, have been given out in transparent, competitive manner. The transition of the tea estates also saw 100% employee retention. Haldia Petrochemicals is receiving 95% capacity even as stake sale process is underway.

We have applied our minds and are moving ahead at a fantastic pace regarding the issue of land and SEZ. Research shows that SEZs are not sustainable in India which have become a playground for real estate.

Bengal is a power-surplus State now. NTPC is taking up power projects in the State. Bengal is water-surplus State, thanks to the Jal Dharo Jal Bharo project.

The MoUs that will be signed in London are across the board and will encompass all major small and large industries.

 

Q: Will you change your FDI policy?

Dr Mitra: We will not change our policy. Let me be clear because it is our commitment to the people. We have a mall in the heart of Kolkata which is the highest rated mall in India. So who is against business houses setting up shop? We welcome companies to enter Bengal.

We have eased the process of doing business. One of the biggest problems was mutation. WB CM has put a 30 days limit for the process.

West Bengal Government received award from Central Govt for e-taxation. We are the only State in India to go cheque-free in taxation.

Kanyashree is a revolutionary programme where 22 lakh girls have been registered for financial assistance to pursue education and got appreciation from United Nations as well.

State Women Empowerment Mission formed for protection of women

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on State Women Empowerment Mission formed for protection of women

The State Women & Child Welfare Department has taken yet another step for the security of women. The department setting up dedicated “anti women harassment cells” in all 20 districts of Bengal.

A meeting in this regard was held at Nabanna on Thursday, headed by Dr Amit Mitra. The meeting consisted senior ministers including Purnendu Bose, Manish Gupta, Moloy Ghatak, Sadhan Pundey, Dr Sashi Panja and MP Dola Sen.

Each cell will have a 24×7 helpline number, so complaints could be registered round the clock.

A committee named State Women Empowerment Mission has been formed and is to be headed by the West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee.

All the 63 departments of the State has been asked to suggest women-centric schemes.

WB CM lays foundation stone for IIIT, Kalyani

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on WB CM lays foundation stone for IIIT, Kalyani

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee today laid the foundation stone for the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kalyani, (IIIT) near Buddha Park, Kalyani-Barrackpore Expressway, Kalyani, Nadia.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said that the State is setting up two Electronic Parks and 15 IT Parks.

The Chief Minister also said that six crore  people below poverty line will be distributed with rice@Rs 2/ kg besides the existing three crore people  totaling the number to nine crore people in the State, in this scheme.

The Government of West Bengal has granted 50 acres of land for the setting up of the campus.

State IT minister Dr Amit Mitra, panchayat & rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee and MPs Dr Tapas Mondal and Mamatabala Thakur were present on the occasion, besides other distinguished guests.

The West Bengal Chief Minister on her social media wrote:

” Today, I laid the foundation stone of the first ever Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) of our State at Kalyani, Nadia. It is indeed a proud moment for all of us.

Our State is committed to work for advancement of IT-based products and services like Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO), knowledge-based export, animation and in so many areas.

The IIIT will provide significant boost to nurture talent of our State and create more qualified and technically skilled manpower for tomorrow.

Besides IIIT, Kalyani will also have an AIIMS and Institute of Public Health which will turn Kalyani into a seat of advanced learning in Bengal.

My best wishes to everyone.”

Videocon to set up mobile making unit in Bengal

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Videocon to set up mobile making unit in Bengal

The Videocon Group will invest approximately Rs 50 crore to set up a mobile handset making facility in West Bengal. This was announced after senior functionaries of the company met West Bengal Finance and Industries Minister, Dr Amit Mitra at Nabanna.

According to Anirudh Dhoot, Director, Videocon, the assembly unit will come up at its existing facility at the IT Township of Salt Lake, on the north eastern part of the city.

Another Rs 100 crore, sources said, will be spent in ramping up its Phulbari facility in Jalpaiguri district. The facility located in north Bengal caters to computer peripherals and assembly of devices.

According to sources, around Rs 25 crore has already been invested in the facility. The remaining amount will be spent towards expanding the facility and include manufacturing of mobile accessories and peripherals like batteries and chargers.

WB Govt paid Rs 76000 Cr on debt servicing, a legacy of Left: Amit Mitra

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on WB Govt paid Rs 76000 Cr on debt servicing, a legacy of Left: Amit Mitra

West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra said that in the last four years, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government had to spend Rs 76,000 crore on debt servicing, a legacy of the erstwhile Left government.

In real terms, the present government has taken only Rs 6,000 crore loans in the last four years, which was a very meagre amount compared to the previous government, he said.

The Chief Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee has maintained that she inherited a huge debt left behind by the erstwhile Left government.

Dr Mitra explained how the state government had been able to multiply expenses in the sectors like social infrastructure, development of physical infrastructure, state plan expenses and capital expenditure.

The government has been able to raise the growth of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) above 5 per cent successively in the last four years of TMC rule as against below 5 per cent registered by the previous Left regime.

Singapore looking for more opportunities to invest in Bengal

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Singapore looking for more opportunities to invest in Bengal

GIC Singapore, the sovereign wealth fund of the island nation, is trying to scout for more opportunities in West Bengal.

“After investing USD 32.5 million in Kolkata Riverside, a 262-acre township, the fund is looking for more opportunities here,” Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra said.

The GIC-invested PE fund, sponsored by HDFC Property and domiciled in Singapore, had signed a USD 32.5 million (Rs 200 crore) agreement with Hiland Group during the Bengal Global Business Summit in January this year for Kolkata Riverside development.

Dr Mitra said GIC, owner of one of the world’s largest funds, was very enthusiastic about development of the state and is keen to participate more actively. “They have indicated that they were negotiating with a few others for further investment,” he said.

Bengal products on China shelves

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Bengal products on China shelves

Bengal products will now be found in Chinese markets -courtesy an MoU between Biswa Bangla Corporation and Haohong Logistics Corporation, a unit of the billion Yuan Haohong Group.

Two way trade

Biswa Bangla Corporation, developed by the Mamata Banerjee government, will have a permanent stall at Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, to showcase Bengal products.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Yunnan governor Chen Hao, union minister of state for external affairs and Bengal finance and industries minister Amit Mitra. The Haohong Group has allotted a 100 sq m area in its industrial park.

Dr Mitra said: “Bengal handicrafts will now be available in China. This is a major step.”

Boost to tourism

The West Bengal tourism department also expects better inflow of Chinese tourists to Bengal following an MoU with the Yunnan provincial tourism corporation. The agreement was signed after chairman of West Bengal chapter, Indian Tour Operators Association, Debajit Dutta made a presentation on Bengal tourism.

Stronger ties between sister cities

 

Another MOU was signed between MSME Technology Centre and Kunming SME financial transaction service, which will act as the backbone for SME infrastructure in Bengal, said state MSME secretary Rajiva Sinha.

Earlier Kunming governor expressed interest in setting up an industrial park in Bengal which he feels should strengthen relationship with Yunnan.

Dr Mitra later said that the Yunnan governor has agreed to send an investors’ delegation to the next Bengal business summit. Mitra urged Yunnan investors to invest in the upcoming Bengal townships, one of the pet projects of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

“We are building 22 smart cities on private-public partnership. I would request Chinese companies to invest here. Yunnan is very strong in food processing and cold storage infrastructure. We would require investment in these sectors as well,” he added.

Amit Mitra leads Team Bengal at China

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Amit Mitra leads Team Bengal at China

State finance and industries minister Amit Mitra is in China today to attract investment for Bengal as well as strengthen the much talked about Kolkata-Kunming connectivity.

Dr Mitra is accompanied by an Indian Chamber of Commerce delegation. Dr Mitra said that India will be the partner country of the 3rd China South Asia Expo in Kunming, and Bengal will be the focus state.

Bengal had a 450 sq m stall at the venue with 28 stalls displaying the potential of Bengal. On Friday, Dr Mitra will address the joint opening ceremony of the expo. “There will be a special cultural programme from Bengal,” he added.

There will be business-to-business meetings with Chinese counterparts as well.