Two days before the exhibition-cum-business summit Bengal Leads — a much publicised event of the Trinamool Congress government as a key initiative of its industrial policy — is to be inaugurated, the State’s Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee here on Sunday failed to confirm which industrialists would be participating in the three-day event.
“Unless everyone reaches Haldia, I cannot for sure say who will be coming,” Mr. Chatterjee told journalists.
Inadequate
The Minister also admitted that the infrastructure available in Haldia was not adequate and not everyone who would have liked to participate could be accommodated.
Participation up
He said that representation from both the State and the private sector has increased in the second edition of the summit organised by the State government. “The number of representatives from both the State and the private sector is a lot more than last time,” Mr. Chatterjee said.
The number of representatives from the private sector increased from 12 to 39 in this year’s edition. The number of State government organisations to be represented would be 22 while there would be six belonging to the Central government.
The three-day event will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on January 15. The valedictory session will be addressed by Governor M.K. Narayanan.
The venue is the Helipad Grounds at Haldia in the State’s Purba Medinipur district.
“Seminars on a vast range of subjects including Information Technology, Manufacturing Industry, progress through PPP [public-private participation] in affordable healthcare, tourism strategies in the State, skill development and the integrated development of West Bengal will be organised,” Mr. Chatterjee said.
