West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee invited the country’s top industrialists to invest in her State, at the start of the Bengal Global Business Summit on Wednesday, promising them that her rocky relations with the Centre would not derail the environment for business and development.
On the same day as Gujarat sought to project itself at the Pravasi Bharat event that began in Gandhinagar, West Bengal showcased what Ms. Banerjee called her government’s investor-friendly programme: plenty of land, a new IT policy and lots of skilled manpower.
“Bengal is rising and shining. Bengal is a land of a billion opportunities,” the Chief Minister said, sharing the stage with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely. The audiencebroke out in applause when she said that her government was keen to “work together” with the Central government.
For once, on the same
For once, the West Bengal government and the Centre seemed to be on the same page as both Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave assurances at the Bengal Global Business Summit of setting aside political differences for “mutual growth.”
While reiterating her desire to work with the Centre, Ms. Banerjee also said: “[i]n a federal structure…if the States are strong, so will be the Centre.”
Sounding conciliatory, Mr. Jaitley said: “The Centre will strongly support the West Bengal government and I assure that. In all areas where States want to prosper, we are here to fully support you.”
But he also said the Trinamool Congress must deliver on its promises: “Madam Chief Minister, you have a mandate to rule the State, and therefore, you have the responsibility to deliver what was promised,” Mr. Jaitley said.
The Finance Minister and the Union Minister of Road Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadkari – spent the day in Kolkata formally announcing many infrastructure projects with substantial committed investment by the Centre.
Though the day started on a cordial note, by the evening the Finance Minister had raised the issue of the Saradha scam at a meeting of traders organised by the BJP’s state unit on the GST issue.
Mr. Jaitley and other leaders pulled no punches in saying that the TMC was opposing the Centre since its party men were landing in jail in connection with the Saradha Ponzi scam.
