Bengal Govt Denies Shelving Airways, Expressway Projects
West Bengal commerce and industry minister Bidyut Ganguly yesterday promised to extend all help to private entrepreneurs willing to invest in the states infrastructure sector.
Speaking at a seminar on Emerging potential and investment opportunities in infrastructure sector in West Bengal, organised jointly by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corp and the Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry here yesterday, Ganguly said two projects the 650 km north-south expressway corridor and the airways project are still on and have not been scrapped as is commonly believed.
For the north-south corridor, the government is still negotiating with international companies, he said.
The minister also said that labour relations are congenial and the management of private companies will have to continuously modernise their plants and invest substantially in research and development.
A presentation on the latest facts and figures relating to the WBIDC was made by its managing director D P Patra.
Between 1991 and March 97, there were 1516 approved projects worth Rs 40,070 crore. This includes 232 non-resident Indian and foreign direct investment of Rs 16,675 crore. 247 projects of commercial production involving Rs 7,000 crore investment have commenced. 76 projects are under construction, entailing investments of Rs 7,500 crore.