Amit Mitra to visit Mumbai to attend meeting on chemicals

Kolkata: Eyeing chemical investment in Haldia, state Industry and Finance minister Amit Mitra will be travelling to Mumbai this month to attend an important meeting on chemicals organised by a leading Chamber of Commerce. Addressing the 4th Management Committee Meeting of ASSOCHAM on Thursday, Mitra said that the government is working for creation of downstream units associated with Mitsubishi Chemicals Ltd in which the Purnendu Chatterjee Group had acquired 90 percent stake last year.

"The Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPCL) has seen a remarkable turnaround.5 lakh people are back with downstream jobs associated with HPCL. We are taking a holistic view, including the benefits for downstream industries," Mitra said.

He added that the Chatterjee group has already committed to invest Rs 20,000 crore for a refinery in Haldia which will be the first refinery in eastern India. It has already acquired 800 acre of land for the project.

Addressing leading industrialists at the event, Mitra reiterated that the state was better off in major macro parameters when compared to those pertaining to the country. "In 2015-16, the GVA in India grew by 7.3 percent while in Bengal, it grew by 12.02 percent, agriculture sector grew nationally by 1.1 percent but Bengal grew by 5.55 per cent. Similarly, industrial sector grew nationally by 7.3 percent while in Bengal it grew by 10.59 percent and services sector in India grew by 9.2 percent while in Bengal it grew by 13.99 percent," he said.

He said that the state is emphasising on building rural roads and has put in Rs 700 crore ADB fund into building state highways through the PPP mode. The state has set a target of building 25,000 km additional rural road after building 12,500 km rural roads in the last six years.

The ASSOCHAM development strategy titled "Most Backward Regions of West Bengal" was released by Mitra along with the chamber's president Sandeep Jajodia, immediate past-president Sunil Kanoria and national secretary general D S Rawat at an interactive session in Kolkata.