Bengal government sets up Industrial Development Promotional Board

In a bid to boost industrial activities and facilitate investments in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee government on Tuesday announced setting up an Industrial Development Promotional Board.

"Industries are vast and spread (across various sectors). We set up an Industrial Development Promotional Board bringing all the industries (departments) in one platform to facilitate one window formula," said Banerjee.

The members of the Board will meet once a week and report to Chief Minister's office on every Saturday about the status of progress for the week, she added.

Former State IT Secretary Siddharth will chair the board while state Finance, Commerce and Industries Minister Amit Mitra and Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee will be advisers to the board.

Secretaries of departments like Finance, Commerce and Industries, MSMEs, IT, Food Processing, Fisheries, Tourism and Land Revenue will be members of the board.

The state's annual Global Business Summit will be held from January 19 to 20 next year at the Milan Mela and the state will invite President Pranab Mukherjee, she also said.

From 2018 onwards, the summit will be held in International Convention centre which will be ready by then.

She also said the state has planned to revive pipeline connected city gas supply project so that people would not to depend on LPG only and households in Bengal can avail city gas in the next three years.

"We plan to supply city gas which can be used for transportation, domestic as well as for commercial purposes in the next three years," said Banerjee.

She said laying out of infrastructure in Kolkata and adjacent five districts of the city will be completed and services is expected to be start in three years time.

"Major gas transmission companies who are supported by gas will come through competitive bidding so that city gas can be supplied and services will be provided by Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corporation Ltd (GCGSCL)," said Mitra.

The GCGSCL has signed an MoU with Gas Authority of India and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd) to construct and lay a distribution network but the project remains incomplete.

Following fear that the new US immigration bill would restrict issuance of H1B visas to Indian companies, Banerjee said if it is implemented, many professionals from Bengal, who are working in the US, may lose their jobs.

"I have asked to prepare a plan of action to IT department to ensure that those who may return (to state) don't face much trouble. We have limited resources but we can definitely try to provide them with something," she said.

The state will set up a Cyber Security Centre of Excellence, Banerjee said.

--IANS

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