Mamata seeks investments but no sops due to financial problems

A Cabinet Committee on Urban Infrastructure comprising some senior cabinet ministers, meanwhile, was formed today to facilitate urban infrastructure projects.

"What Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat, Chennai can offer we cannot as our situation is different from them," Banerjee said addressing a conclave on urban infrastructure development 'Bengal Builds' here.

"We are facing a legacy of 35 years (of Left Front rule). The government is in debt trap and so we are in a different situation (from the other states).

"The demands (of the infrastructure companies) are genuine but our options are limited due to financial constraints," she said, adding the situation is so grim that the state has to even think how to pay its employees their salaries on time.

Banerjee asked the realtors and urban infrastructure developers to invest in Bengal as oppurtunity is 'huge' in the state compared to other destinations.

"My heart is with you but my hands are tied," the Trinamool Congress supremo said, adding despite financial constriants the state was moving ahead with infrastructure development worth about Rs 4,000 crore.

Real estate companies had sought reduction in tax on housing.

Banerjee, however, did not respond to builders body Credai's demand for repealing Urban Land Celing Act.

She also sought to take took credit for reduction of mandays lost in the state during the tenure of her government.

"In 2009-10 the mandays lost was 68 lakhs and in the the six months of 2011-12 when my government came the same was reduced to 60,000," she claimed.