To die for

Industrialists generally prefer locating projects where there is requisite infrastructure, so proximity to Kolkata is a natural choice. But West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appears to be making things a little difficult for investors. At a Bijoya Sammelani hosted by state Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee, Banerjee insisted that industrialists should consider investing in Bankura, Purulia and West Medinipur, areas that are known to be Bengal’s Naxal zone. “Don’t be afraid, all of us have to die one day,” she told the gathering. As one industrialist rued, investing in Bengal is as good as dying anyway.