Bengal to have bird park, hopes to draw GIC Group

The West Bengal government will set up a bird sanctuary within the eco-park at Rajarhat in Kolkata's north east outskirts, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said here Monday.

Interacting with the media after going round the famous Jurong Bird Park, Banerjee said the sanctuary will come up over a five acre area.

Banerjee, now on a five-day visit to the sovereign city state to tap investment, said the state's officials accompanying him have spoken to the Jurong Bird Park authorities on setting up the bird park.

"We already had planned the bird sanctuary. Now we will plan in a better way," she said.

Banerjee reached the South East Asian island country, regarded as one of the world's major commercial hubs, early Monday.

The delegation accompanying the chief minister includes twelve officials and staff from the state secretariat and around 52 business leaders from the state.

Among those in the team are Finance and Industries Minister Amit Mitra, senior bureaucrats and captains of the industry including Ambuja Neotia chairman Ambuja Neotia Group chairman Harshavardhan Neotia, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group chairman Sanjiv Goenka and ITC executive director Kurush Grant.

"This is the first time that an official delegation from the state involves so many industrialists across various sectors," she said.

Earlier in the day, Mitra led the business delegation at a meeting with Singapore's leading investment fund - the GIC Group.

Terming the talks as "fruitful", Mitra Monday exuded confidence of securing big ticket investment for the state.

"Quite aware of Bengal and looking at the list of those who are investing in our state, they ended the meeting with a positive intent. The biggest thing is they have asked us to send them projects and if they found them bankable, they will invest," Mitra said after holding a meeting with GIC representatives.

Several Singaporean and Indian entrepreneurs including Grant were present at the meeting.

Mitra said the group has already set up an office in India and entered in to a joint venture with the HDFC Bank for making investments in India.

"Usually they do not invest anything below $50 million. It's a very positive and significant development and people would soon get to see the results," he added.

Banerjee is slated to pay a courtesy visit to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Tuesday. She will then meet a Bengali delegation from the Jurong Township and visit the INA Memorial.

An industrial summit will be held Wednesday where Bengal's industrialists would detail the advantages of investing in the state to their Singapore counterparts.

The chief minister will tour urban management facilities and tourism facilities in Singapore Thursday.

The visit comes in response to an invitation extended by the Singapore government and Changi Airports International, the latter involved in setting up the erotropolis project - involving setting up a new airport along with a township, IT and logistics hub - at Andal of Burdwan district.