The process of industrialization
in the state of West Bengal
West Bengal has witnessed the last
few years as a reckoning period for resurgence and rejuvenation of the
industrial scenario, availing full advantage of the liberalization policies
though with ideological reservations in some areas. The State has received
overwhelming response both from domestic investors and overseas investors
in various areas. The attitude and gesture of the Government have allured
foreign investors in large numbers.
The State already received delegations
from different countries. West Bengal and the Government functionaries
have had very meaning full discussions with the delegates. Quite a good
number of memorandum of understanding were also signed both with domestic
and overseas investors. Some of the projects have already been grounded
and many projects are under advanced stage of implementation.
There has been question and many
critics were skeptical about the actual industrial process in the state.
In this context, it would be necessary to give a brief outline of the major
projects under implementation and in the pipeline.
Haldia Petrochemicals Limited is
a reality now. The mega Petrochemicals project in Eastern India and the
country's third largest integrated grassroots petrochemicals plant will
start commercial production of over a million tonnes per annum of Polymers
and liquid co-products in the new millennium. This apart, the prestigious
project, Mitsubishi chemicals corporation, Japan's PTA project has also
entered into the construction phase at Haldia. It is expected that this
unit will be going into commercial production by this year.
The construction of the Calcutta
Leather Complex, Stated to be one of the biggest of such complexes in the
world, has also entered in the implementation phase. This BOT Project is
likely to give a substantial boost to the Leather Industry in this region.
PET RESIN Project by Elque polyester
Limited at Falta, Cotton Spinning Mills by Pacific cotspin Limited at Falta,
casting unit by Datre corporation at Falta,Aluminium Foil Unit by
India Foils Limited in North Calcutta, Silk yarn making unit by J J Spectrum
Limited near Bishnupur, I V Fluid making unit at Sonarpur, expansion project
by Electro Steel casting at Khardah, Tourism and Entertainment facility
by Ganapati Greenfield at Raichak are some of the units which have been
completed recently.
Improvement of urban amenities and
increasing of housing stock have been given due priority by our Government.
The efforts of the Calcutta Corporation to improve civic facilities have
been welcomed by the people and have been approached by outsiders. A satellite
city is being set up at Rajarhat adjoining Salt Lake. ‘Infinity’ for information
technology and world Trade Centre’ for business information are making
satisfactory progress. The ‘Asia Gateway’ project near the Kasba Industrial
complex is in the planning stage. An exclusive NRI Complex in the eastern
fringe of the city is expected to go into implementation phase soon. New
schools, hotels, hospitals and financial centres are in various stages
of planning. The proposal for setting up of a satellite Township for Siliguri
have also cleared and for setting up a Minor port at Kulpi necessary action
has been taken.
There are many more projects are
coming up in the state soon. So the allegations made about non-implementation
or very slow pace of industrialisation are not tenable. One may like to
know that the all India average of implementation of MOUS is 9-10 percent
in West Bengal. However, we have been able to cross the national average
and the process of implementation has been successful in the order of 10-12
percent.
With the completion of financial
tie-ups of Haldia Petrochemicals, we have been receiving series of queries
both from domestic and overseas entrepreneurs who are evincing tremendous
interest for setting up ancillary and downstream Industries in Haldia.
The Mitsubishi Corporation Limited of Japan, NISSHO IWAI of Japan are the
major players in chemcial industries of the world. The basic raw materials
for the manufacture of PVC Resin Viz, Ethalene and Ethalene Di Chloride
and the raw materials for PTA Viz. Paraxylen and Acetic acid are not abundantly
available in the country. We are expecting surplus Ethalene after the Naphtha
Cracker plant is commissioned. The companies desirous to set up chemical
industries are contemplating in terms of importing these raw materials
from USA
and other countries.
In different seminars and fora,
we talk about the availability of various inputs,land etc. for setting
up different industrial projects. The development of agriculture is very
closely linked with the industrial development specially in the consumer
goods sector. There have been studies and survey by various reputed organisation
for ascertaining the opportunities of industrial venture in the context
of the increasing purchasing power of the peasantry. We all know that industrial
consumer goods have now entered the remote villages of the state
even the electronic sets are now
common in rural areas. This has been possible because of the increasing
purchasing power of the rural population for tremendous development of
agriculture.
The State Government is aware of
the fact that availability of quality physical and social infrastructure
will be a major factor in attracting new investments. The Public Works
Department has prepared a scheme for upgradation of State Highways. The
Megacity plan for Calcutta, which is under implementation by the CMDA,
envisages improvement of many roads in the urban agglomeration. The Government
have also set up a state level Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation
to supplement these efforts. With a view to providing some relief to the
pedestrians, WBIDC in collaboration with ICICI, Transport and PW Department,
Government of West Bengal have conceived of elevated pedestrians plaza
over few busy corridors in the city. The State Government has recently
constituted a ‘National Task Force’ which is chaired by the chief minister
and has representation from the industry. This has been done to facilitate
drawing up of a concrete action plan for rapid industrialisation, in consultation
with the industry.
West Bengal have had the tradition
for Engineering Industries, Hosiery, Garments, Food Processing Industries
and the skilled labour force in the state is an additional asset. The power
situation at present in West Bengal is worth mentioning and the state at
this moment has surplus power. With the commissioning of Bakreshwar Thermal
Power Project the situation has further improved. The requirement of power
though expected to increase with further industrialisation of the state,
the additional production of power will definitely be able to meet the
requirement.
The State of West Bengal has had
a distinguished position in the industrial scenario of the country since
pre-independence days. During the last 5 decades the state had witnessed
major changes in its socio-economic structure, industrial policies, mostly
based on political ideologies both in the areas of domestic economy and
global economy. It goes without saying that the growth of industries in
the state is largely dependent on the attitude of the Government at the
central and state level with regard to policies of licensing, incentive,
export and import taxing structure on plant and machinery and on
transactions of industrial products, labour laws and above all the congenial
environment created through political goodwill. Such policies may differ
widely for large, medium and small scale industries and it is desirable
that the policies must be directed towards fulfillment of the objectives
of balanced growth in these sectors, unless adequate measures are taken
to protect the interests of the entrepreneurs in all these sectors while
framing the policies, industrial growth can not take place in a balanced
and diversified manner which is required for overall development of all
sections of the society. |