At the 8th Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the commencement of her pet project — the mining of basalt on 326 acre of land at the proposed Deucha-Pachami coal mine in Birbhum district.
Banerjee said mining will start from Wednesday at the Asia’s second largest coal mine. Around 1,240 million tonne of coal and 675 MT of basalt is expected to be mined. Informing that all environmental clearances and other clearances had been obtained, the Chief Minister said that an agency, selected through a national tender, has already set up the required infrastructure for mining basalt.
Banerjee also announced the formation of a new state-level Investment Synergy Committee on Wednesday. The committee, aimed at addressing investment-related issues, is proposed to serve as a one-stop, time-bound clearance mechanism to resolve challenges across various sectors, including land, fire safety, finance, MSME, housing, agriculture, and industry.
Headed by the Chief Secretary, the committee will meet fortnightly to “ensure timely support” in the approval process, fostering a more conducive environment for business growth in the state.
Banerjee also expressed her gratitude to Mukesh Ambani for his “commitment” to making Kolkata the hub for Jio. She emphasised the significance of the summit, saying, “We are honoured by the overwhelming response at the BGBS, with delegates from 40 countries participating; over 200 foreign delegates in attendance.”
She also mentioned her recent conversation with Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, who, due to prior commitments, could not attend the summit but sent a significant delegation, including the CEO. Banerjee urged Tata to start a direct flight from Kolkata to Europe.
“We have received investment proposals worth Rs 90.51 lakh crore during the last seven business summits held in Kolkata. I do not need to answer to those engaged in politics. Bengal has immense potential for further investment. Our GDP has grown 3.9 times, tax revenue has increased 4.73 times, capital expenditure has surged 13.85 times, social sector spending has risen 13.38 times, and agricultural sector growth has seen a 10.71-fold increase,” Banerjee said.
“Bengal is the prime location for investment; it is the gateway to the East and the future destination for industrial investment. We are number one in the MSME sector and in women empowerment. We pioneered the business summit and now other states are following our lead,” the Chief Minister claimed.