Refuses to soften stance on AMRI directors.
The stage is set for a Mamata Banerjee versus industry face off, once again.
A day after the industry body the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) came out in public supporting the AMRI directors castigating the treatment meted out to them by the West Bengal government, it was the turn of chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday stating that the state “does not want industry that kill people”. However, the remark has invited further ire from the industrial community in Bengal.
Lashing out at the chamber and AMRI directors, the Trinamool Congress stalwart showed no intention to go soft on the hospital group. “A chamber has said that the directors of AMRI should be released. I want to tell them that we want industry here, but we do not want industry that will kill people,” Banerjee told the media.
Not restraining herself with this, the chief minister added, “Terrorists are terrorists. From this chair, i cannot be a sympathiser. Even I have limits, but the law will take its own course.” On Monday, the apex industry had demanded “a judicious, non-discriminatory and objective handling of the AMRI case”, in order to restore the investors confidence. Demanding the release of AMRI non-executive directors, it had said, “Those who are not found guilty and are not responsible for day-to-day operations of any business should be released immediately.”
When asked about the Banerjeee verbal attack on Tuesday, FICCI secretary general Rajiv Kumar, who succeeded West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra in the industry body responded, “We are not asking her to release the culprits. But our appeal to the state is for a fair trial.” After the blaze at AMRI’s Dhakuria hospital on December 9, which claimed more than 90 lives, directors including R S Goenka, R S Agarwal, Manish Goenka and Prashant Goenka of the Emami group, S K Todi and Ravi Todi of the Shrachi groups and executive director D N Agarwal were arrested.
UNHAPPY INDUSTRY
The government's move on AMRI fire appears to be the last nail in the coffin for industrialisation in Bengal. Not just FICCI, other chambers and industry bigwigs too, are upset about Banerjee’s comment.
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Speaking to Business Standard, the former president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) and Videocon Group Chairman Venugopal Dhoot said, “Those directors not part of the day-to-day operations, specially people like R S Agarwal and Goenka, should be released immediately. It should be the case with all those not responsible. At least, they should conduct a fair trial for those alleged.”However, Assocham distanced itself from the comment.
On the other hand, one major industrialist believe that the government was discriminatory towards the “Marwari” community, as the government directors on the AMRI board — including the managing director — who have not been taken to custody or even questioned happen to be Bengalis. Banerjee government may also feel the heat from CII soon. “We are not ready yet. We will first discuss it internally at our next council meeting,” said Ranaveer Sinha, managing director of Telco Construction Equipment Company and chairman of CII Eastern Region on whether CII was planning to come up with a similar statement.
Just a week ahead of the Bengal government's investor meet, the mood among Bengal's industrialists has hit an all-time low.