Biz bodies condole death of Somnath Chatterjee

Various business bodies today condoled the passing away of former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, stating that the country had lost a statesman.

"In Somnath Chatterjee's death, we have lost not only a brilliant lawyer, politician and a Parliamentarian, but also a statesman," said Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Chatterjee was a widely respected Member of Parliament and the CII benefited from his vision for a developed India, he said.

The CII interacted with him closely in West Bengal and later, on many areas which he was passionate about, like promoting sustainability in the industry and robust water management, Banerjee said.

Chatterjee, 89, passed away at a private hospital in Kolkata this morning following multiple organ failure. He was the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009.

"In his death the lost a great personality, who shared his wise counsel on all important issues relating to the state and the Centre," said Ramesh Agarwal, President, Merchants' Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), in his condolence message.

He said Chatterjee was widely regarded among lawyers and lawmakers as an expert of the Indian Constitution, and was entrusted with the challenging task of reviving industrialisation in West Bengal, when the state was struggling an image crisis in the mid-1990s.

"He contributed significantly in drafting the State Industrial Policy 1994. As the Chairman, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), he performed the onerous task of regaining investors' confidence," he added.