Even as it retained its optimism on West Bengal as an attractive investment destination, apex industry association Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) said that it would shortly place before the West Bengal Government, a comparative study on land acquisition policy and status in other States while also outlining a futuristic industrial policy that the State could follow.
Assocham President Swati Piramal said that the State lacked investment in knowledge industry. Areas such as digital music and new media could also be developed in the State, she felt. Chamber Secretary General D. S. Rawat said after a joint pressmeet that the chamber had met West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Tuesday and it agreed to submit draft papers on public-private partnership in the health sector and industry-education partnership.
“We will shortly submit these papers,” he told reporters.
Dr. Piramal said that services, manufacturing and real estate remained hub centres in West Bengal. The chamber suggested that West Bengal should come out with a strategy of using public investment, exclusively for the development of the primary sector and private investment for industry and services.
“By following this strategy, the State needs to restrict itself to role of regulation while private sector develops and manages industry and services.”
She also said that the State needed to develop minor ports and could also launch a special purpose vehicle for creating road and rail connectivity.
