Bengal eyes private role in transportation

West Bengal state government is keen on offloading more of the public transport network to private operators as it is getting extremely difficult for the state to provide the desired standard of service to the public.

"It will be best if private companies come forward for providing this service. The government is also welcoming private partnership in nearly all segment of activities", said Swapan Chakraborty, secretary, planning and development department, government of West Bengal at the seminar on 'Planning for future' organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce.

The government would carry on with its restructuring activity of the state enterprises with the funding it has received from Department for International Development (DFID), he said. "The state cannot provide subsidy "" but it can provide better infrastructure and that is exactly what it is looking at", he added.

The state government had approached the World bank for funds for building infrastructure.

"Departments of the state government had a meeting with officials from the World bank and submitted their plans and requirements. If sanctioned, this would be a loan of substantial amount helping the state immensely", said Chakraborty.

The major objective of the state government has been to initiate and invite private partnership in public sector activities, he added. "The government is now encouraging more private payers to take up urban health care units from the government. The government shall retain rural units to cater service to the poorer section of the society", added Chakraborty.

He admitted that there still existed difference in opinion within the government pertaining to private participation in essential services.

The state has decided to take employment generation as its most prior activity. Chakraborty said any activity generating employment for both rural and urban poor would be encouraged by the government.

Priority wise the state government's resources were committed to education and health and related nutrition and mortality issues, as also to infrastructure projects, he said.

Discussing the pitfalls he said that the West Bengal's huge debt and wage burden were the greatest challenges facing the state government.

"The state is spending a huge part of its revenue to service debts. There has been a constant effort though to reduce the wage bill and restrictions in new employment", said Chakraborty.

He said the state would no longer enter into any new manufacturing activity. In addition, the state was not in a position to provide subsidy of any form.