CM has developed infra in all fronts for industries: Sadhan Pande

Kolkata: State Consumer Affairs minister Sadhan Pande said on Friday that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has developed infrastructure in all fronts for inviting industry and investment in the state. "Bengal also has skilled and disciplined manpower and labour that will facilitate the industrialists in investing in the state," Pande said addressing the inaugural programme of BIMSTEC Expo organised by ICC.

"We are developing Tier II cities like Kalyani with plug and play infrastructure," he maintained. Representatives from South Asian and South East Asian countries were present in large numbers at the programme.

The minister also appealed the countries under BIMSTEC to be present in the Bengal Global Business Summit in January 2018.

The BIMSTEC Expo which is being held for the first time in the city will be held at Netaji Indoor Stadium till Sunday.

Shashwat Goenka, President, ICC called for improved physical and digital connectivity initiatives for forging deeper regional integration in the BIMSTEC region. He observed that the Eastern and North Eastern states of India forms a direct economic connect with the contiguous BIMSTEC member nations.

Alhaz Amir Hossain Amu, Hon'ble Minister, Ministry of Industries, Government of People's Republic of Bangladesh said that Bangladesh is emerging as a leading economy in South Asia with GDP growth being tagged at 7.2 percent and sectors like Software gaining in prominence in exports

Prashant Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of External Affairs observed that member nations in BIMSTEC are connected geographically and culturally.

He mentioned that Bengal is the gateway to North East India which shares direct international boundary with BIMSTEC member nations in South and South East Asia. "Bengal also commands a mineral rich hinterland comprising the neighbouring Eastern Indian states of Jharkhand, Bihar etc," he said.