Videocon lines up more investments in Bengal

Videocon group chairman, Venugopal Dhoot, today met West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and proposed a host of investments including deep sea port and revival of an abandoned airstrip.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Dhoot said, the group had proposed two knowledge cities in Siliguri and Kalyani spread over 500 acres each. The knowledge cities would have IT parks, education centre, among other facilities

The investment figure was not known but the land would be acquired directly by the company.

For the Rs 15,000 crore proposed steel and power project near Asansol, Videocon had already acquired more than 2,000 acres.

Dhoot said, the total requirement was to the tune of 4,200 acres and the balance would be acquired in two months' time.

The group chairman also said that they would look at setting up a deep sea port in Bengal. Recently, Sajjan Jindal of the JSW group evinced interest in the deep sea port project in Bengal.

Dhoot said, "We have the technology and the expertise for setting up the port," he said.

The group also plans to invest in revival of the airstrip at Kanchrapara, near Kalyani. A proposal would be submitted over the next two weeks.