The plan includes measures for reviving industries, reviewing government decisions and examining alleged corruption. Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a six-point plan for the state at Zee 24 Ghanta’s Mega Conclave ‘Sarkar 100 Din’ on Tuesday (August 25).
Three committees announced
A major announcement at the event was the formation of three specialised committees covering industrial closures, administrative and policy decisions and alleged corruption under the previous administration. Industry, Commerce and Enterprises Minister Tapas Roy will head the committee looking into industrial closures and the preparation of a new industrial policy. Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta will head another committee dealing with alleged corrupt practices, while Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal will lead the panel examining policy decisions taken by the previous government. The chief minister also talked about the state’s industrial history and recalled the circumstances surrounding Ratan Tata’s decision to move the Tata Motors Nano project out of West Bengal. The industrial question has long featured in West Bengal’s political debate, particularly around land, investment and employment. The new government’s proposed industrial policy is intended to address these issues and encourage businesses to set up and operate in the state. The chief minister also addressed developments at the Jadavpur University, including allegations involving anti-national slogans.
He said his government wanted to create conditions in which businesses could operate without disruption. He said he opposed any support for “extremist and Naxalite ideology at the university”.
Government’s Early Days Marked by Financial Challenges
Adhikari emphasized that evaluating the government’s performance after just 100 days is premature. He stated that this period should focus on addressing the issues left by the previous administration.
“Performance evaluation cannot be done in 100 days. Now is the time to heal the wounds. After coming to power, I saw that the previous government had left the state bankrupt. Now, Bengal has to become self-reliant,” he remarked, highlighting the financial difficulties faced by the new government.
