It's business as usual for BJP CMs at Goa

Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh says the state will start a skill development programme to tackle the Naxal problem

Choosing between an assertive Narendra Modi and a sulking LK Advani is not the only item on the agenda of chief ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hitting Goa's shores this weekend.

Raman Singh of the Maoist-hit Chhattisgarh and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, both of whom landed in Goa for the BJP national executive Friday, have come armed with business plans. State bureaucrats are with them too, to bolster the efforts to attract investment into their respective states.

Raman Singh met a delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) office bearers at a coastal resort, asking them to invest in Chhattisgarh, which he described as having great potential, "in spite of the Naxalite movement".

"The power production is huge in the state, 44 percent of forest land is open for exploration, (it is a) hub of the herbal industry which is the future, and agricultural production is double the national average," a CII official who attended the meet said.

Raman Singh also said the state would start a skill development programme to "tackle the naxal problem".

The Chhattisgarh chief minister has also promised a single-window system of clearances and permissions for industries willing to set up units in his state.

Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Modi is expected to interact with members of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Sunday.