Come and invest in Bengal: Mamata tells industry

Describing West Bengal as "the destination for investment", Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday urged investors to shun their negative attitude and invest in her state.

Banerjee invited investments for her state while inaugurating a cement plant in West Midnapore district's Salboni, where her predecessor Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and then central ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitin Prasada escaped unhurt in a landmine attack by Maoists in November 2008.

"Bengal is the destination for investment. Industry in Bengal has been growing at 9.58 percent which far too higher than the country's rate. Our government pledges all support to you and I urge you all to invest in Bengal," said Banerjee.

"We have seen how Bengal has suffered because people would call for strikes at the drop of a hat...we will not tolerate such an attitude. I urge you to shun your negative attitude towards Bengal and invest here," she said.

"There is no labour unrest here. We have land banks, adequate power supply and the work culture has vastly improved. Unlike under the previous government, now we have zero mandays lost due strikes or shutdowns," said Banerjee claiming Bengal has received over Rs.40,000 crore industrial investments.

AOCL India's cement manufacturing plant has come up on 154.43 acres of land at an investment of Rs.615 crore at the Godapiasal Industrial Park in Salboni.

The plant is just 25 km from the steel project of JSW Group which continues to be in limbo due to several factors.

Banerjee, who is likely to visit Singapore later this year to woo investors, said she will take a business delegation from the state.

"We will be going to Singapore and I want to take a delegation of industry captains from here. We will also work on bringing investors from others countries as well," added Banerjee.