Criticising West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for appealing to industrialists with a ‘land bank’, State president of the Bharatiya Janata Party Rahul Sinha said here on Saturday that the State government lacked a clear cut land policy.
“Ms. Banerjee told industrialists [during a FICCI National Executive Council meeting here on Friday] that they need not look for land themselves as it would lead to unrest in the State and advised them to approach the State government as they have a land bank ready. Where is the land in the land bank? The government does not have any concrete plans on how to usher in industrialisation,” Mr. Sinha said.
“Earlier, businessmen shied away from the State due to the red flag of the CPI (M), now they fear extortionists of the ruling All India Trinamool Congress. The government needs to form an industry-friendly environment and adequate infrastructure before appealing to industrialists,” Mr. Sinha said.
Hinting at Ms. Banerjee’s recent visits to Sagar Island, State Congress president said one cannot attract business proposals for the State just by showing off the State’s scenic beauty.
At a time when farmers were being forced to let their crops rot due to absence of adequate number of cold storages in the State, about 30 per cent of cold storages in the State have shut down due to corruption and AITC-instigated violence, he added.
Talking about the recent arrest of former AITC leader Asif Khan, for his alleged role in the multi crore Saradha scam, Mr. Sinha said Mr. Khan was arrested only after he had disassociated himself with the party.
