Mamata invites corporates for doing business in Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Friday invited industrialists to set up base in the state, but cautioned against acquiring land forcefully. 

"Government will give you land, you set up your business. Don't quarrel, or, you will not be able to do business," Banerjee said while interacting with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry National Executive Committee members.

In the same breath, however, she admitted indirectly that the state government has land for small scale industries and the information technology sector, but not for large scale industries. 

"If you want to do information technology, I have the land bank. If you want to do small scale industries, I have the land bank. If you want to do big industries, you have the land bank," she said. 

Banerjee who is still carrying the baggage of leading an indefinite agitation in Singur which led to the pullout of Tata Motors' project, however, went all out to allay any apprehension of doing business in Bengal. 

She assured that there would be no interference from the government. "We will not interfere. We have a social compulsion and you have a commercial compulsion," the Chief Minister said. 

However, Banerjee was silent when some of the Ficci members questioned on significant policy issues. To a question on the possibility of undertaking labour reforms, Banerjee was silent. 

On problems facing the jute industry and an appeal for state intervention, Banerjee said, the employers and employees should sit together to resolve the problem. 

Ficci president, Sidharth Birla, however said that problems in land acquisition was a national phenomenon. The new Land Act, had raised some issues. 

"Industry has no mental barrier on compensation. Issue is certainty and timeline. There should also be certainty in liability," he pointed. 

Birla hoped that the government would address these points. Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, recently hinted at changes in the Land Act.