 "Mamata_Jaitley")
Barring a few implicit reminders on West Bengal’s investment climate, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were on the same page with regard to improving investment in the state. They deliberately chose to keep business and politics separate.
Speaking at the Bengal Global Business Summit, Banerjee said political differences would not be a roadblock. “We should maintain a federal structure. If the state is strong then the nation will also be strong,” said the chief minister in her opening remarks.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) does not support the recent land Ordinance, which Banerjee had dubbed as a “black and unjust” piece of law. On a goods and services tax, the TMC government after opposing it initially, had said it would support the tax regime, if adequately compensated.
Also Read
“We have to create an environment where we not only attract investments but promise industry profitable returns on investment,” Jaitley said. He, however, did pause to remind state Finance Minister Amit Mitra that growth from manufacturing in Bengal was on a thin base.
Mitra had said the state’s growth rate was 8.62 per cent compared to India’s 4.7 per cent.
Jaitley said norms should be eased and the process of doing business. “Investors have a choice of state and country,” he said.
The finance minister said Bengal would benefit from the proposed coal block auction. “Bengal’s revenue position will be much better after GST implementation,” he said. Jaitley had a brief meeting with the chief minister before leaving the summit venue.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari, who spoke after Jaitley, announced port projects worth Rs 16,000 crore. But 26 km away from the summit venue, Jaitley took on the TMC at a meeting convened by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Traders’ Cell.
Lashing out at TMC on stalling Rajya Sabha proceedings, Jaitley said TMC is angry because the Central Bureau of Investigation is exposing the people involved in the Saradha scam. “TMC is endorsing the corrupt by saying that their friends are entangled in the chit fund scam,” he said.
Jaitley also criticised TMC’s stand on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and land Act. “In its manifesto, TMC had said it was in support of GST but now it has changed its stance for no reason. GST has no link with Saradha, so please continue to support it,” he said.
BJP spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh, who had spearheaded the campaign, “Bhaag Mamata Bhaag”, said, the Bengal Global Business Summit was a farce, as the state should first take initiatives to open the large number closed factories in the state.
