WEST BENGAL

Left Front Stresses Further Growth Acceleration

B Prasant

MEETING at Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan on October 20 forenoon, the Bengal Left Front took an interim stock of the state economy in terms of consolidation as well as development. It urged upon the Left Front government to ensure that the pace of development did not slacken off, but rather made to even more coordinated and faster. Left Front chairman Biman Basu briefed the media later on the day.

The Left Front was of the firm view that the LF government should immediately go ahead with the massive project that was to come up at Uluberia in Howrah district. The project mix is principally the production of motor scooters and motorcycles with overseas collaboration. 

A detailed project report (DPR) has been prepared and feasibility study undertaken. The project is to come up on a piece of land which is chiefly arid and not classified as agricultural holding.

Earlier, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee briefed the Left Front meeting regarding industrialisation in the state. The highlights of his report were as below:

1.  The rich and wide agricultural foundation of Bengal with its major growth areas located in rice, vegetables, fruits, and flowers should be the base on which the industrial edifice should be constructed and consolidated.

2. There has been a definite improvement in development and planning, and the land use board has been revitalised.

3. Projects that are of importance in recent months have been the National Instruments Unit at Kalyani and the Mitsubishi-run chemical unit at Haldia.

4. The pace of industrialisation has picked up and investors have approached the Left Front government with projects.

The Left Front was of the following view:

1. In terms of industrialisation and urbanisation, the pace of economic development of the state should accelerate at a faster rate. 

2. Small and village based industries including agro-units should be developed in a wider manner. 

3. Traditional industries like tea, jute and engineering goods should be protected, modernised and developed.

4. In going about industrialisation, interests of the small and marginal farmers must be well protected.

5. Mostly fallow and non-arable land is to be converted for industrial use although exceptions can be made if necessary.

The Left Front will hold more discussions in the weeks and months ahead to dwell on the various industrial projects that are being set up in Bengal.

Biman Basu said there was some amount of confusion about the industrial units being set up in the state. thanks to the role of a section of the corporate media, which wanted that the confusion should to be compounded somewhat. The state of affairs was suitably utilised by the opposition, clueless as a whole, to try to berate the Left Front government with.

The day saw the Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee trying desperately to live up to her threat of bringing Bengal ‘to a standstill’ over the arrival of an industrialist group. It was a no-show from the beginning for her.

All she could do was to utilise the generosity of a few private TV channels, which allowed her to rave and rant before rolling cameras in the company of one or two loyal subordinates yet willing to stick by her in the sad times she finds herself in.

Biman Basu commented that a person like her who had not had the inclination to speak, even once, either as a member of parliament and as a minister in the BJP led government, against war, against US imperialism’s misdeeds, on Iraq, on Afghanistan, or in support of an independent foreign policy, really had no right to demonstrate against industrial investment in Bengal. 

She, said Biman Basu, was never with the people, and the recent events had shown once again how the people were not with her.

Anil Biswas commented to say that beyond organising a one-woman show on TV, Mamata Banerjee could do little in the day she had threatened to “stop life from moving in Bengal.” This was a threat that the corporate media had highlighted with a great deal of fanfare. The people as usual, said Anil Biswas, chose to ignore her threats, and life went on as usual. (INN)