Babul Supriyo questions utility of Mamata's London visit

Banerjee, accompanied by delegation of bureacrats, MPs and businessmen, would seek increased business ties between UK and Bengal

Union Minister Babul Supriyo today questioned the utility of West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's five-day visit to London starting tomorrow.

"What is the utility of Mamata Banerjee London visit? How will West Bengal benefit from her London visit ?" Supriyo asked while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an Indian Chamber of Commerce event here.

Banerjee, accompanied by delegation of bureacrats, MPs and businessmen, would seek increased business ties between UK and West Bengal and also investments into the state.

"It is also a clear misuse of money. The fact is so much money is being spent on foreign trips, then why the state government is not paying the balance DA to its employees", said the minister.

The union minister said Banerjee had spoken of transforming Kolkata into London. "We shall be happy if a part of that is done".

He also blamed the syndicates and difficulty in doing business by hindering flow of investments into the state.

Criticising the Trinamool Congress government, the BJP leader said the state had failed to make in any progress under Mamata Banerjee's rule.

"What has the state done? This state is one example where work atmosphere needs to improve ... For a long time, I have been seeing that there is no right environment for the private investors to invest here and actually industries are closing down", Supriyo said.

"I also want to ask state finance and industry minister Amit Mitra how much land is available here for setting up industry", the Minister of State for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, said.

Referring to JNNURM schemes in the state, he said the Centre had allotted 75 of them to it amounting to Rs 7620 crore. "But unfortunately, only 34 of them are expected to be completed till March 31, 2015."

He was equally critical about the infrastructure in the entire eastern region.

"There is complete lack of infrastructure in the eastern region. Why will foreign investors come here?" he wondered.

"A lot of things are done politically. But logic should be put ahead of politics," he added.