The state government’s decision of shutting down the power grid project at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district of Bengal, following the resistance from local residents of the area, has boomeranged on the efforts of the state government for attracting investment in the state ahead of the kicking off of Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), a coveted event of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, aimed at attracting investment in the state.
The state government’s decision of shutting down the power grid project at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district of Bengal, following the resistance from local residents of the area, has boomeranged on the efforts of the state government for attracting investment in the state ahead of the kicking off of Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), a coveted event of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, aimed at attracting investment in the state.
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, a Central public sector unit had undertaken of putting up a project of constructing Rajarhat 400/220 KV substation for transmitting power between Bengal and Purnia in Bihar.
Vinay Dalmia, Vice President, Indian Engineering Industry, talking to DNA said that one of the major concerns for power-intensive industries was high industrial power tariff in Bengal compared to the rest of the country.
“Power rates are going up over here and since the overall industrial scenario is not good, to give a positive fillip to the industries here, government should consider bringing down power tariff. Especially steel industry which has 40 – 65 per cent input cost in terms of power will suffer if the problem is not addressed,” he said.
Referring to the different power distribution licensees in the state he said that there were differential rates among them as well. “The rates are not only high compared to other states but even within the state different companies supply at different rates which make matters even worse,” he added.
Shailendra Jain, group head, sales and marketing, Steelbird Hi-Tech India Limited who is due to arrive in the city for some meeting with businessmen regarding expansion plans said, “Power shortage and high tariff would be an issue with power-intensive industry. However, ours is a labour intensive one.”
Sutanu Ghosh, president of Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) admitted that power rates were high in the state but said that the Bhangar incident will not have any effect on the industrial prospects of Bengal. “It is a one off incident and even if the industrial power rates are high here, the state is supplying quality and stable power, which is far more important,” he said talking to DNA.
While the entire area around Milan Mela Ground, the venue for BGBS in the eastern fringes of the city has been done up politicians predict doom as far as investment in the state was concerned, given the law and order situation and the policies of the government.
Congress state president Adhir Chowdhury said that the third instalment of BGBS was an eyewash. “After the first and second BGBS, she had said that there had been investment in the tune of Rs 2.43 lakh crore and Rs 2.5 lakh crore, respectively. How much of those have been materialised we want to know. Again, Bengal is ranked 13 in the country in terms of ease of doing business. Even Jharkhand is ahead of us. What does the state have to offer looking at which foreign investors would want to come here? We have seen flight of capital, talent and skill from Bengal. The BGBS would be another ‘utsav’ or celebration which the CM indulges at the cost of the state coffer,” said Chowdhury talking to DNA.
BJP national secretary and former party state president Rahul Sinha said that all investments had been verbal so far. “After the first BGBS Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said there would be investment of Rs 2 lakh crore in the state. Aftertomorrow she might raise the amount to Rs 6 lakh crore but in a state where industrialists like the Tatas have to leave, where IT giant Infosys is ignored and a power sub-station which was over 90 per cent complete is shut down, how can you expect there to be any investment in reality,” he said talking to DNA.
CPIM state general secretary Dr Surjyakanta Mishra said that shooing away business from the state had been the habit of Mamata from the beginning. “She had been doing this even when she was in the Opposition. Where else in the world will you find that 90 per cent of manufacturing industries are forced to leave the state or shut down business?” he said talking to DNA.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Mamata Banerjee")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}