Industrialists needed to be attracted in Bengal: Somnath

Santiniketan, Sep 28 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today said in the age of competition, entrepreuneurs would not mull investment in West Bengal unless attracted with incentives.

After laying the foundation stone for the Birbhum Tourism Circuit project at Santiniketan Tourist Lodge here, Mr Chatterjee, without mentioning Tata Motors' pullout threat from Singur, said 15 states in the country were vying to bag the project after an industrialist decided to withdraw from the state.

'' We have to increase self-confidence. The Opposition, apart from levelling allegations, should also act towards resolving deadlocks. Such problems are bounty in West Bengal. In other states too, the role of Opposition parties have not been positive,'' he informed.

Meanwhile, the Union government had sanctioned Rs 6,49,60,000 to help the state's tourism department come up with a tourism circuit comprising 12 spots in the Birbhum district.

West Bengal Minister for Tourism Manabendra Mukherjee said the state's Tourism Development Corporation had registered profit after a gap of 34 years.

Mr Mukherjee added that the state government had decided to elevate nine tourist lodges including Santiniketan Tourist Lodge to Three Star category.

UNI XC SB DB2147