Bengal is future destination for investment: Tycoons

This is contrary to the environment that had existed for three decades during the Left Front regime when businessmen got scared to invest because of lockouts and bandhs and many had shifted their headquarters to other states.

Keiichi Higuchi from Kawasaki Rikuso Transportation said altogether 100 solar run temperature controlled warehouses will come up in the state and the first one will be in Singur. 

Around 150 square feet is required to set up the warehouse. This would immensely benefit local farmers, he said.  The investment would be around $2,000-3,000.  

It may be recalled that the erstwhile Left Front government had decided to set up an automobile factory of the Tatas on firm land destroying the vegetable bowl. Due to Mamata Banerjee’s resistance, the Tata’s finally left the area and Singur became the Waterloo for the Left Front government.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Limited, who was in full praise of Banerjee and the state government, said West Bengal was looking up and it was the finest investment destination. He said his company had invested Rs 5,000 crore in the state in the past three years. “West Bengal is top in doing ease to business in the country,” he said. He said RIL along with the state government would provide fast internet service to 2,800 colleges in the state. All the state-run health care establishments would be connected with internet service. Reliance will work among the small entrepreneurs as partners. The Reliance Foundation along with the state government will pick up 1,000 budding footballers and train them.

Murli of Shree Ram urged the Chief Minister to lay the foundation stone of a mini township on 386-acre land at Utterpara. The estimated investment will be around Rs 6,500 crore. The township will have hospital, IT parks, residential complexes and villas, shops and restaurants.  

Sajjan Jindal was overwhelmed when the Chief Minister asked local people not to put pressure on the company for jobs. She went to lay the foundation stone of a cement factory in Salboni on January 6. “I just cannot believe that the leader of party can say this to the local people, who want job in the factory.” He reiterated that he would invest Rs 10,000 crore in power and other sectors.

Asok Chauhan , head of Amity University, said he had attend the summit in 2015 and was so pleased to see the genuine will of the state government to push the state forward. “When I told my son that I would invest Rs 150 crore in West Bengal, he was shocked. Now, he realises that I was not wrong.” He proposes to invest Rs 2,000 crore in the education sector and set up a proper research centre. 

“There are research scholars working abroad, I will try to bring them and give them proper opportunity to carry on with their research,” he said.

YC Deveswar, chairman of ITC who was in full praise for Mamata  Banerjee, said that the new ITC hotel would be named as  ITC Royal Bengal. He urged the Chief Minister to inaugurate two of the plants, which was set up by the ITC, in February.

HN Bangur of Sree Cement, who has never invested in West Bengal, said that he would set up a cement factory in the state. “People told me not to invest in Bengal. But after coming here and talking to the Chief Minister and bureaucrats, I found that they are very clear in their approach. I will set up a cement factory here.” The Kolkata Police along with the group is running ‘Pronam’, a scheme for aged people.

Purnendu Chatterjee, chairman of The Chatterjee Group, said the Haldia Petrochemical project would be upgraded and there would be an investment of Rs 20,000 crore. He said that the problem which HPCL was facing had been overcome due to the right attitude of the state government. 

Mohandas Pai said that there were 1.5 Bengalis working in Banglaore at IT sector.  Immediately after his speech, Banerjee went up to him and requested him to bring them back. “You take the initiative to bring them back and we will provide the infrastructure,” she said.