‘TMC against SEZ but will offer similar benefits to Infosys’
28 Sept 2015 5:29 AM IST
“Trinamool Congress is against SEZ policy and maintained its stance when the party came to power and expressed reluctance in offering SEZ status to Infosys which had planned to build an IT SEZ at Rajarhat on 50-acre land,” he said.
In May, Infosys had asked the West Bengal government to either give SEZ status to the company’s proposed centre at Rajarhat or repay the money it has given in advance for the land.
“We have told the state government that it should either give us the SEZ status or pay back the money which was advanced to get the land,” a senior Infosys official had said.
State Finance Minister Amit Mitra had assured Infosys that the company would be offered “similar” tax benefits in lieu of SEZ, but even then, “...if they (Infosys) do not come what can be done?” Pande said at the 128th AGM of Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry here.
He said that the state government is also promoting <g data-gr-id="22">SME</g> sector in a big way and is also open to assist in case of any problems. Meanwhile, BNCCI is planning to build a complex on 1.5 acres of land by 2020 that will house trade facilitation infrastructure.
Amit Mitra heaps praises on Tatas
After burning bridges with the Tatas over the abandoned Nano car project, Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government on Saturday heaped praises on the Tata group.
State Finance and Industry Minister Amit Mitra at a CII event said: “It is heartening to note that the Tatas are providing employment to 35,000 people in the state.”
TCS is also creating 20,000 new jobs at its new campus, he said. Mitra said the government had asked for suggestions on developing the infrastructure around Tata Hitachi and Tata Metaliks in Kharagpur.
Referring to the setting up of Tatanagar during British rule, Mitra said that it is a market creation vision of the Tatas which led to the creation of the steel plant.
“The British had said at that point of time that they (Tatas) will have to eat every pound of rail they will produce as there will be no takers,” he said.
At that time, the British was planning to lay railway lines across the country and the Tatas wanted to participate by making rails.
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