Kolkata, Aug 30 (IANS) The poor industrial scenario of West Bengal is because of politics being mixed with business and this trend needs to be reversed, state Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee said Tuesday.
‘We must always disassociate business from politics. Mixing them is detrimental for both. It’s no surprise that the state lags behind others on the industrial arena,’ said Chatterjee at a seminar on Japanese investment in Eastern India, hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.
Chatterjee blamed the erstwhile Left Front government for the state’s inability to attract foreign investment.
‘We are unable to attract investors or we are not being given enough weightage. This is because the state earlier was busy choosing particular countries that should invest here while the rest of the country accepted investment with open arms,’ he said.
Chatterjee was surprised that save for the setting up of the Japanese Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation at Haldia (in East Midnapore), ‘there is hardly any substantial investment’ from the country in the state.
‘I, therefore, urge the industry captains and the government (of Japan) please not to ignore West Bengal and the opportunities it offers,’ Chatterjee added.
‘Compared to the national scenario, the picture is not so encouraging in Eastern India, especially (West) Bengal. Of 725 Japanese companies in India, only 67 are in this region with only nine of the companies having a regional office in Kolkata,’ Consul General of Japan here, Mitsuo Kawaguchi said.
‘With the finalization of the CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) August 1, not only India but the eastern region of the country can avail the benefits and make industrial progress,’ said Kawaguchi.
The CEPA, signed between India and Japan, will make the markets of both countries more accessible to each other.
‘India is growing at a steady rate. The relations between the countries can be concretized with business exchanges at the national, regional and state levels. With West Bengal getting a new government, I am hopeful of more Japanese investments in the state,’ Kawaguchi said.
