Bengal postpones investors' meet to avoid embarassment

Previous meet had failed to garner enough investment

West Bengal government's recent drive to woo industry has hardly yielded in any investment proposals. In an effort to avoid further embarrassment, the state government has decided to postpone industry meet in Mumbai scheduled next February.

“We are not cancelling the meet. It will happen at a later date”, West Bengal Industry minister Partha Chatterjee told Business Standard. The state government had earlier decided to organise the investors' meet on February 13.

According to Chatterjee, the event is being delayed as chief minister Mamata Banerjee would be busy in February ahead of the state budget. Also, Banerjee has apparently asked to take time and organise the event properly only after Saraswati Puja, which is on February 15.

“One needs time for preparation of such an event. If there is lack in preparation then also we will be criticised. I can say, it will be done in an organised way,” the industry minister said, although,  he did not give any tentative date for the investors meet.

Officials indicated, learnt from the experiences of the recently concluded Bengal Leads in Haldia which was a no-show from the biggies from India Inc, the government does not want to take a chance. The state government is making all efforts to ensure presence of some of leading industrialists like Ambani brothers and Tata group chairman Cyrus Mistry.

“Both Ambanis and Cyrus Mistry could not give time on February 13,” a top government official said.

The state government has roped in CESC Vice-Chairman Sanjiv Goenka to organise the investors meet in Mumbai. TMC MP Derek O Brien is also coordinating with Goenka to get some of the leading names of India Inc for the Mumbai edition. 

When asked about invitees list for the event, Chatterjee asked to get in touch with Sanjiv Goenka.  CESC Vice-Chairman, however, did not respond text messages sent to him.