Kolkata, Sept. 23 -- A day before CM Suvendu Adhikari's meeting with Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani, the CM on Wednesday handed over land documents to 33 investors and announced plans to develop West Bengal as a major industrial hub.

Adhikari said Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, whom he met in Mumbai on Monday, would send a team to Bengal next week to explore investments in five to six sectors.

He signalled a shift from investment announcements to project-level facilitation and made a dig at LF for ousting industries from the state. He praised ex CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, but said his party was not in favour of industrial growth.

Referring to Nandigram, he said Haldia Development Authority issued land acquisition notice which was ultra vires.

The CM said Mamata Banerjee had driven out Tata from Singur and her government made it clear that they would not help investors with land and left it to industries to scout for land. At an event at Milan Mela, Adhikari said the government would extend all necessary support to investors and promised a new industrial policy before Durga Puja. He said investors would not have to visit multiple government offices for projects involving investments of more than Rs 100 crore, with clearances and concessions to be facilitated through a streamlined mechanism. I know how local bodies harass investors, the CM said.

The CM said the state had earmarked Rs 5,000 crore for industrial incentives, with the quantum of incentives to be linked to employment generated rather than merely on the quantum of the amount invested. He also announced that he would meet industrialists twice a month to address problems and monitor investments.

The Budge Budge industrial hub is part of the government's attempt to create a cluster-based investment destination close to Kolkata.

Murari Lal Lohia, Chairman Emeritus, Jupiter Wagons Limited, expressed his gratitude to the Government of West Bengal, as they got 256 acres of land at Purulia and felt the new BJP government was focusing on industrial growth.

Vivek Lohia, Managing Director, Jupiter Wagons Limited, said We are deeply grateful to the govt, for helping us to set up defence manufacturing unit, which will help to be Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence production.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.